Bears' Nahshon Wright pays tribute to late coach John Beam with interception: 'That one was for him'

The interception Nahshon Wright hauled in during the Chicago Bears' 19-17 win over the Minnesota Vikings had way more meaning than just an average takeaway. Wright played with a heavy heart on Sunday, grieving the loss of his former coach at Laney College, the late John Beam. He played in Beam's honor after the legendary junior college coach was tragically killed in a shooting on the Laney campus.

Wright played for Beam in 2018 and he remained in regular contact with him after reaching the NFL. Beam was a father figure for the Bears cornerback and his brother, Rejzohn Wright, after they lost their dad in 2017. Both brothers spent time at Laney before transferring to Oregon State and embarking on their professional careers.

"Today he was watching over me," Wright said in the Bears' locker room. "It's crazy; he called me the night before he passed and he told me every game he watched, I just seemed to get a pick. I just know he was behind me today. He was with me today."

The interception was the fourth of what has become a breakout season for Wright. He said he will take the ball back to Oakland and deliver it to Beam's family because "that one was for him." It helped the Bears seal a divisional victory and notch their seventh win in eight games.

Wright was instantly overcome with emotion after making the play.

"He meant the world to me," Wright said. "When my dad was killed, he came to my house and got me out the bed. Someone I can confide in, someone that I love dearly. We talked once a week, easily. Really at a loss for words.

"My dad was killed in 2017. Beam stepped in as a father figure, a father role. He did a lot for me and my brother, my family. He's been there every step of the way. And it won't stop. I gained an angel."

Beam, who stepped away from coaching in 2024 and since served as Laney's athletic director, died Nov. 14 after being shot a day earlier in what authorities said was a targeted attack. Oakland Police arrested a suspect and said that Beam and the suspect knew each other but did not have a close relationship. The suspect, who played football at Oakland's Skyline High School, was not a Laney student but was known to loiter around the campus.

Officers found Beam suffering from gunshot wounds when they responded to the school's fieldhouse. The college was placed on lockdown shortly thereafter.

Beam gained national attention when he was featured in the "Last Chance U" television series, which followed Laney's 2019 football season. During his tenure as the school's football coach, Beam guided the Eagles to two league championships, a 2018 state title and a No. 1 national ranking. He previously coached at Skyline High School and won 15 league championships and 11 section titles in 16 years.