"For Some of Them it Was Only the Moment That Mattered"

By TJ Troup 

Since this will be my last column for the Journal, wanted the title to come from one of the men who I respect for his ability to write lyrics; thus Jackson Browne thank you. There are teams that we know well, and then there are teams that we just don't know well enough. 

Having done in-depth research on the interception and who pilfered the ball, we can all access the list of the men of intercepted at least 10 passes against a specific opponent. Many of the men on the list are Hall of Fame players or achieved a lot of success in their careers. 

One of the names on the list is Joe Beauchamp who intercepted 10 passes against Denver in his career. Beauchamp was drafted in the 6th round of the "red shirt" draft in 1966. He not only joined an organization that had played in five championships in six years but the Chargers were known far and wide for giving unknown players a chance. 

Joe Beauchamp had played junior college football, and lettered in 1964 for Iowa State, but was not heralded as one of the best college defensive backs. 

Beauchamp played in eight games his first season in '66, and in November of that season against the Broncos twice in the second quarter, he intercepted. Very little was written in Street & Smith's over the next few years though Joe started many games. December 8th, 1968 Beauchamp achieved the "double takeaway" by both intercepting and recovering an opponent fumble in the same game. 

He was the only San Diego defender to accomplish the double takeaway over the course of a 32-game span (Oct. 22nd, '67 through November 9th, 1969). Though the Chargers played competitive and winning football, they could not beat the Chiefs or Raiders when it mattered. 

The San Diego Chargers highlight film for 1970 was both entertaining and insightful, and Joe Beauchamp was still playing well when he played either corner or safety. 

Recently have been in contact with Emmy Award-winning producer David Plaut, and he shared his thoughts on a number of subjects on Charger players and coaches. Harland Svare moved from the front office to the sideline for the last four games of 1971 and will detail his first full year as head coach. Quoting Street & Smith's '72 annual "People who watched the San Diego Chargers for the last several years are accustomed to seeing touchdowns scored". 

During 1971 the Chargers finished 23rd in points allowed with 341, with just 19 sacks, and were 24th against the run by allowing 2,296 yards. Svare made multiple trades to acquire veteran defenders who he believed who bolster the defense. David Plaut shared with me that Dave Costa and Tim Rossovich were "hilarious with outsized personalities".  Mr. Plaut also shared that Joe Beauchamp was "extremely intelligent and a thoughtful person". 

When Bob Howard was injured early in '72, Ray Jones replaced him. Ray Jones played for four teams in four seasons and film study shows Jones consistently getting beat. He is benched and Beauchamp moves from safety where he was tied for the league lead in interceptions with five (four other men also had five)on October 29th, to left corner where he continued to play well. 

The Charger defense allowed 344 points in '72, and recorded 26 sacks, yet the Lightnin' Bolts are sure improved in defending the run since they allowed just 1,673 yards. The 1972 edition of the Illustrated Digest of Pro Football on page 232 states that Joe "found a home at right corner in 1970. Top athlete with speed, quickness, and zest for combat". San Diego under Svare failed so badly that he was replaced by Tommy Prothro. 

Over the course of his ten years Joe took the field with many other defensive backs, as he was the one constant whether at corner or safety. Beauchamp remained in the Charger line-up through the first eight games of 1975 before being replaced in the line-up. Gary Garrison and Joe were the only two Chargers who played for San Diego from 1966 through 1975. 

Shifting gears, as I stated in my opening sentence this is possibly my last column for the Journal as have decided it is time for me to have my third book published. 

Has been a learning experience for me so far, as far too many of the publishing companies attempt "to hide" the total cost of having a book published. My agent will make sure that the contract is suitable, yet there are so many areas that need to be addressed in having a book published, and am bound and determined to learn them all. 

My upcoming book is titled: "1961—A SENSATIONAL SEASON". Without a doubt this is the best writing I have ever done, and hope some of you will purchase a copy when it comes out. Add to my learning about how to have a book published, my senior softball season starts in two weeks, and this old war horse is motivated to play even better this year.