Bobby Bethard, Hall of Fame executive in the National Football League, died due to complications from Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 86. According to Fox News, Bethard was with his son Casey at their home in Franklin, Tennessee at the time of his death.
In 1978, Bethard started his first stint as a general manager with the Washington Commanders– then known as the Washington Redskins, after a stint with Atlanta Falcons as a scout. Under his stewardship, the Commanders won two Super Bowls and lost one. He later joined the San Diego Chargers and also led them to two Super Bowls.
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“The Washington Commanders mourn the passing of the great Bobby Beathard,” Commanders said in a statement. “Bobby was a man of extraordinary class and integrity and was the architect behind the greatest teams in this organization’s history. he cared deeply for everyone he worked with and always put the team first.”
Who was Boby Beathard?
Beathard was born in Zanesville, Ohio on January 24, 1937. At the age of four, he and his family moved to El Segundo, California, where he spent most of his years growing up.
As a part-time scout for the Kansas City Chiefs in 1963, Beathard made his professional football debut. In order to scout for the American Football League, he briefly departed the Chiefs before making a permanent return to Kansas City in 1966.
He joined the 1966 Chiefs organization, where he received his first AFL championship ring. From 1968 to 1971, Beathard worked as a scout with the Atlanta Falcons. On February 22, 1972, he succeeded Joe Thomas as the Miami Dolphins director of player personnel.
Beathard became the general manager of the San Diego Chargers in 1990. The team earned its first division title in more than ten years and made its first Super Bowl appearance in 1994 in just his third season in San Diego. He retired in 2000.
