McKenzie, Tenn.–For C.J. Beathard and the Beathard family, this Sunday’s Super Bowl will be a bittersweet experience.
Beathard is a third-string quarterback for the 49ers, who will be playing against the Kansas City Chiefs for Super Bowl LIV and the family has deep roots in Carroll County. Amid the Super Bowl excitement, they also will be remembering C.J. Beathard’s younger brother, Clayton, who died in a stabbing in Nashville in December.
In an article on ESPN.com, “One Son Killed, Another In Super Bowl: How Brethard Family Will Remember Clay”, the family looked ahead.
“C.J. Beathard is a third-string quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, and his family doesn’t care that he likely won’t dress for the Super Bowl LIV matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs. This game is a precious gift in the wake of an unfathomable tragedy, the murder last month of C.J.’s younger brother Clayton, the starting quarterback at Long Island University,” the article states.
The Beathard family has deep roots in Carroll County. Beathard lost his younger brother Clayton, age 22, in a stabbing in Nashville that happened December 21. Both Beathard and another young man, Paul Trapeni, were stabbed as they tried to defend a friend and both died later at Vanderbilt Medical Center. After several days on the run, the suspect, Michael Mosley, was finally arrested in Cheatham County.
C.J. and Clayton are the sons of Susan and Casey Beathard, formerly of McKenzie; grandsons of Cindy Summers of McKenzie and the late Jerry Connell, and nephews of Barry Summers of Huntingdon, Joel Summers, McKenzie.
Photo: C.J. Beathard. NFL.com photo.