Beathard to the ?! CJ goes the distance to put the #49ers up 10-3. ? #LACvsSF pic.twitter.com/2iHixx5DN3
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) September 1, 2017
C.J. Beathard didn’t run the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.
But if there were any questions about his mobility, the rookie out of Iowa answered them on Thursday night.
Though Beathard isn’t known as the most fleet of foot quarterback, he raced through the San Diego Chargers defense in the 49ers’ fourth and final preseason game for a touchdown run that electrified the crowd at Levi’s Stadium.
Starting in place of Brian Hoyer who was resting on Thursday, Beathard took the reins of the 49ers’ offense, and quite literally ran away with them.
On second down and eight with about nine minutes remaining in the second quarter, Beathard dropped back to pass, surveyed the field and then stepped up in the pocket. The 49ers’ third round draft pick then dashed toward his left, broke off of a block from fullback Tyler McCloskey, and reversed field to the right.
Despite a handful of Chargers’ defensive backs chasing after him, Beathard won a foot race to the end zone and dove for the pylon to punctuate a 62-yard touchdown run.
During his college days at Iowa State, Beathard’s longest run was a 57-yard scamper against Iowa State. He now has a new personal best, and it came in the NFL.