Legendary Auburn receiver Terry Beasley dies at 73
Terry Beasley, one of only three Auburn football players to have his jersey number retired, has died at the age of 73.
Beasley was only a few days away from his 74th birthday. He was born February 5, 1950, in Montgomery and had a stellar career at Lee High School.
Beasley, who wore #88 as a receiver for the Auburn Tigers, became a powerful combination with Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Pat Sullivan. He played at Auburn from 1969-1971.
Beasley was a consensus All-American in 1970-1971. Every fifth pass caught by Beasley was a touchdown.
He was the first receiver picked in the 1972 NFL Draft and went to the San Francisco 49ers in the first round. Injuries limited Beasley’s pro career to four years. He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1986 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2002.
St. Clair County Coroner Dennis Russell said Beasley was declared dead at about 5:15 p.m. Wednesday.
Moody Police Chief Reece Smith said the case is being investigated as a potential suicide.
“We got a call at 5:20 (Wednesday) afternoon and officers found Mr. Beasley with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Smith said Thursday.
He suffered a number of concussions during his playing career and dealt with decades of health problems. He played three seasons in the NFL before retiring in 1975 because of injuries and later was a plaintiff in a lawsuit against the NFL on the effects of brain injuries. It was settled in 2016.
In the lawsuit, Beasley said he had suffered memory loss, headaches, anxiety and sleeplessness as a result of football-related injuries.
(Copyright 2024. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.)
