Autry Beamon

{{Short description|American gridiron football player (born 1953)}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Autry Beamon Jr.

| number = 27, 24, 23

| position = Safety

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1953|11|12}}

| birth_place = Terrell, Texas, U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 1

| weight_lb = 190

| high_school = Kaufman (TX)

| college = East Texas

| draftyear = 1975

| draftround = 12

| draftpick = 311

| pastteams =

Minnesota Vikings ({{NFL Year|1975|1976}})
Seattle Seahawks ({{NFL Year|1977|1979}})
Cleveland Browns ({{NFL Year|1980|1981}})

| highlights =

First-team Little All-American (1973)

| statlabel1 = Interceptions

| statvalue1 = 13

| statlabel2 = Interception yards

| statvalue2 = 132

| statlabel3 = Fumble recoveries

| statvalue3 = 8

| statlabel4 = Sacks

| statvalue4 = 1

| statlabel5 = Safeties

| statvalue5 = 1

| pfr = B/BeamAu20

}}

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

College career

Beamon played college football at East Texas State University, now East Texas A&M University, and is in the university's Athletic Hall of Fame.{{cite web | url=https://lionathletics.com/honors/a-m-commerce-athletic-hall-of-fame/autry-beamon/8 | title=Autry Beamon (1985) - A&M-Commerce Athletic Hall of Fame }} The Hall of Fame citation says that at age 16 he was the youngest college player in the country in 1970.{{cite web | url=https://lionathletics.com/honors/a-m-commerce-athletic-hall-of-fame/autry-beamon/8 | title=Autry Beamon (1985) - A&M-Commerce Athletic Hall of Fame }}

He is still the only player in his college's history to be a four-time first team All-Lone Star Conference selection.{{cite web | url=https://lonestarconference.org/hof.aspx?hof=45 | title=Autry Beamon (2012) - Hall of Honor }}

He is in both the Lone Star Conference Hall of Honor and the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame.{{cite web | url=https://lonestarconference.org/hof.aspx?hof=45 | title=Autry Beamon (2012) - Hall of Honor }}

Professional career

In the 1975 NFL draft the Minnesota Vikings chose Beamon in the 12th round (draft pick 311 overall).{{Cite web |date=2015-01-28 |title=Autry Beamon Past Stats, Statistics, History, and Awards - databaseFootball.com |url=http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=BEAMOAUT01 |access-date=2024-12-17 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128112250/http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=BEAMOAUT01 |archive-date=January 28, 2015 }} He was on the Vikings team that played in Super Bowl XI, losing to the then Oakland Raiders in January 1977.{{cite web | url=https://lonestarconference.org/hof.aspx?hof=45 | title=Autry Beamon (2012) - Hall of Honor }}

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.{{Cite web |date=2015-01-28 |title=Autry Beamon Past Stats, Statistics, History, and Awards - databaseFootball.com |url=http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=BEAMOAUT01 |access-date=2024-12-17 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128112250/http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=BEAMOAUT01 |archive-date=January 28, 2015 }} The following season he had four interceptions for the Seahawks.{{Cite web |date=2015-01-28 |title=Autry Beamon Past Stats, Statistics, History, and Awards - databaseFootball.com |url=http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=BEAMOAUT01 |access-date=2024-12-17 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128112250/http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=BEAMOAUT01 |archive-date=January 28, 2015 }} 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.{{Cite web |title=NFL.com {{!}} Official Site of the National Football League |url=https://www.nfl.com/stats/player-stats/category/interceptions/1977/post/all/defensiveinterceptions/desc |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=NFL.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=NFL.com {{!}} Official Site of the National Football League |url=https://www.nfl.com/stats/player-stats/category/interceptions/1978/REG/all/defensiveinterceptions/desc |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=NFL.com |language=en-US}}

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.{{cite web | url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BeamAu20.htm | title=Autry Beamon Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College | website=Pro-Football-Reference.com }}

In 1977 Beamon scored his only NFL touchdown, returning a blocked punt in a Seahawks home game against the Baltimore Colts.{{Cite web |title=Autry Beamon NFL Stats and Bio - Pro Football Archives |url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/playerb/beam00400.html |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230518192520/https://www.profootballarchives.com/playerb/beam00400.html |archive-date=2023-05-18 |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=www.profootballarchives.com |language=en-us}}https://static.www.nfl.com/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2021/SEA.pdf. See p. 268 under Blocked Punts Returned for TouchdownsVideo of Beamon’s touchdown is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8N33f7PADfE 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.{{Cite web |title=Autry Beamon NFL Stats and Bio - Pro Football Archives |url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/playerb/beam00400.html |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230518192520/https://www.profootballarchives.com/playerb/beam00400.html |archive-date=2023-05-18 |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=www.profootballarchives.com |language=en-us}}{{cite web | url=https://www.dailynorseman.com/2014/12/4/7333855/a-brief-look-at-jets-vikings-history | title=A Brief Look at Jets/Vikings History | date=December 4, 2014 }}Video of Beamon’s blocked punt safety is at 5:41 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYZd-noybkU

In both the 1978 and 1979 seasons he was the special teams captain for the Seahawks.https://static.www.nfl.com/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2021/SEA.pdf. See p. 303 under Captains/Special Teams

References

Category:1953 births

Category:Living people

Category:Players of American football from Kaufman County, Texas

Category:American football cornerbacks

Category:Seattle Seahawks players

Category:Minnesota Vikings players

Category:Cleveland Browns players

Category:East Texas A&M Lions football players

Category:People from Terrell, Texas