Bobby Beathard, the architect of the Washington Redskins' championship victories in Super Bowls XVII and XXII, is dead at 86, according to The Washington Post.
He died at his home in Franklin, Tennessee on Monday of complications from Alzheimer's disease, The Post reports.
Beathard began his pro football career as a scout for the Kansas City Chiefs and later had stints with the Atlanta Falcons (1968-1971), Miami Dolphins (1972-77), Washington Redskins (1978-1988) and San Diego Chargers (1990-99).
He helped construct four Super Bowl rosters, two in Miami as the director of player personnel, and two in Washington as the general manager. His stint in Miami included the Dolphins' famed undefeated season in 1972, in which they finished the season 14-0 and ran the table in the playoffs to win the Super Bowl that year. In addition to four Super Bowls titles, Beathard is responsible for seven conference championships and 10 division titles.
"Bobby was a man of extraordinary class and integrity," the Commanders said in a statement. "He cared deeply about everyone he worked with and always put the team first."
"Bobby's impact on our franchise and community will never be forgotten," the statement concluded.
Along with a number of Hall of Fame players — including Darrell Green, Art Monk and Russ Grimm — Beathard is credited with discovering a gem in head coach Joe Gibbs, who would lead Washington to three Super Bowl titles across the 1980s and in the 1991 season as well as an additional Super Bowl appearance in the 1983 season (which they lost to the Raiders). Gibbs was previously the offensive coordinator of the San Diego Chargers prior to etching his own Hall of Fame career in Washington.
Beathard was instrumental in building Washington into an NFL dynasty. He was finally — rightfully — enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.
