Saturday morning, San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback C.J. Beathard learned that his brother, Clayton, had been killed. The 22-year-old was stabbed during an altercation in the Midtown area of Nashville, which brought Beathard back to Tennessee. This tragic event followed an evening where the QB and his family took part in a festive evening.
Saturday morning, Beathard’s wife, Madelyn, posted a photo on Instagram that showed the happy family just hours prior to Clayton’s tragic death in Tennessee. They had attended a holiday party at Levi’s Stadium and had dressed up for the event.
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The festive evening was described as hectic by Beathard’s wife, who wrote: “christmas party’s with a toddler- semi blurry pics, working out in a dress and heels trying to keep up, trying to socialize and hold a conversation while basically wrangling a wild animal and most importantly a whole lot of extra fun and entertainment!”
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“Best family photo ever,” one fan commented on the photo.
Others responded to the incident in Tennessee, expressing their sorrow and saying that they were praying for peace.
“So sorry for your guy’s loss smh Prayers for your family,” one of many members of the 49ers fanbase wrote on Instagram.
Following the tragic death, Beathard traveled home to be with his family in Tennessee. The 49ers were scheduled to host the Los Angeles Rams during a Saturday night NFC West battle, but the QB was not scheduled to see the field. The team released a statement, saying that Beathard had their full support as he traveled home.
“The 49ers family was shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the tragedy involving C.J. Beathard’s younger brother, Clayton,” the 49ers said. “We extend our heartfelt sympathies to C.J. and the entire Beathard family as they cope with the unthinkable loss of a loved one. C.J. has traveled home to join his family knowing he has the support of our entire organization as they grieve the passing of Clayton.”
With Beathard no longer with the team on Saturday, the 49ers set out with the goal of winning the game for him and his brother. Head coach Kyle Shanahan gave an emotional speech following the victory on Saturday night, explaining that he had spent time with Beathard and had promised to deliver the win.
“Having to go spend an hour with C.J. last night and just being with him during that, you guys know how tough it is for him and his family right now,” Shanahan said. “He was like any one of us would have been: distraught, struggling to talk. He barely could talk, and he said to me, ‘You guys go make sure you win this game.’ And I didn’t want to say that at the beginning because this game doesn’t mean anything compared to his brother. … [Beathard’s] got our backs, just like we have his. It was a special day for you guys, and I’m so glad you guys could do that for him.”
(Photo Credit: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty)
