The San Francisco 49ers revealed some unfortunate news on Friday, releasing a statement on former linebacker and linebackers coach Ed Beard, who passed away on Monday at the age of 83.

Beard played for the 49ers from 1965-1972, first starring in a starting role at middle linebacker before transitioning to special teams, where he became the first special teams captain in NFL history.

He played in 97 games over the course of his eight-year NFL career, which was ultimately cut short due to injuries.

After his playing career, he became a linebackers coach for the 49ers and later the New Orleans Saints before becoming a defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions.

While he was a stalwart for the 49ers and helped lead them to three straight NFC West titles from 1970-1972, he was perhaps even more important in the locker room during his time in San Francisco.

Beard received the Len Eshmont Award in 1971, which is an award voted on by 49ers players that is for the player who shows the “inspirational and courageous play” of Len Eshmont.

While Beard is a player that has been mostly forgotten by the typical NFL fan, 49ers fans took to social media to offer their condolences after his unfortunate passing.

Ed Beard was a native of Fredericksburg, Virginia where he received the high honor of being inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.

[San Francisco 49ers on Twitter]

About Reice Shipley

Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.