Autry Beamon

Last updated

Autry Beamon Jr.
No. 27, 24, 23
Position: Safety
Personal information
Born: (1953-11-12) November 12, 1953 (age 70)
Terrell, Texas, U.S.
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High school: Kaufman (TX)
College: East Texas
NFL draft: 1975  / Round: 12 / Pick: 311
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Interceptions:13
Interception yards:132
Fumble recoveries:8
Sacks:1
Safeties:1
Player stats at PFR

Autry Beamon Jr. (born November 12, 1953) is a former professional American football safety who played for three National Football League (NFL) teams.

Contents

College career

Beamon played college football at East Texas State University, now Texas A&M University-Commerce, and is in the university’s Athletic Hall of Fame. [1] The Hall of Fame citation says that at age 16 he was the youngest college player in the country in 1970. [2]

He is still the only player in his college’s history to be a four-time first team All-Lone Star Conference selection. [3]

He is in both the Lone Star Conference Hall of Honor and the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame. [4]

Professional career

In the 1975 NFL draft the Minnesota Vikings chose Beamon in the 12th round (draft pick 311 overall). [5] He was on the Vikings team that played in Super Bowl XI, losing to the then Oakland Raiders in January 1977. [6]

In the course of his seven-year NFL career Beamon made 13 interceptions for 132 yards including a career best six picks in the 1977 season for the Seattle Seahawks. [7] The following season he had four interceptions for the Seahawks. [8] Only two players in the NFL — Rolland Lawrence of the Atlanta Falcons and Mario Clark of the Buffalo Bills — had more interceptions in each of those two seasons, 1977 and 1978. [9] [10]

Beamon had at least one fumble recovery in all but one of his seven NFL seasons for a career total of eight: three for the Vikings, three for the Seahawks and two for the Browns. [11]

In 1977 Beamon scored his only NFL touchdown, returning a blocked punt in a Seahawks home game against the Baltimore Colts. [12] [13] [14] His only other points in the NFL also came from a blocked punt for the Vikings in a home game against the New York Jets in 1975, resulting in a 2-point safety. [15] [16] [17]

In both the 1978 and 1979 seasons he was the special teams captain for the Seahawks. [18]

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References

  1. ↑ https://lionathletics.com/honors/a-m-commerce-athletic-hall-of-fame/autry-beamon/8
  2. ↑ https://lionathletics.com/honors/a-m-commerce-athletic-hall-of-fame/autry-beamon/8
  3. ↑ https://lonestarconference.org/hof.aspx?hof=45
  4. ↑ https://lonestarconference.org/hof.aspx?hof=45
  5. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20150128112250/http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=BEAMOAUT01
  6. ↑ https://lonestarconference.org/hof.aspx?hof=45
  7. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20150128112250/http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=BEAMOAUT01
  8. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20150128112250/http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=BEAMOAUT01
  9. ↑ https://www.nfl.com/stats/player-stats/category/interceptions/1977/post/all/defensiveinterceptions/desc
  10. ↑ https://www.nfl.com/stats/player-stats/category/interceptions/1978/REG/all/defensiveinterceptions/desc
  11. ↑ https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BeamAu20.htm
  12. ↑ https://www.profootballarchives.com/playerb/beam00400.html
  13. ↑ https://static.www.nfl.com/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2021/SEA.pdf. See p. 268 under Blocked Punts Returned for Touchdowns
  14. ↑ Video of Beamon’s touchdown is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8N33f7PADfE
  15. ↑ https://www.profootballarchives.com/playerb/beam00400.html
  16. ↑ https://www.dailynorseman.com/2014/12/4/7333855/a-brief-look-at-jets-vikings-history
  17. ↑ Video of Beamon’s blocked punt safety is at 5:41 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYZd-noybkU
  18. ↑ https://static.www.nfl.com/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2021/SEA.pdf. See p. 303 under Captains/Special Teams
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