C.J. Beathard surprises grandpa Bobby Beathard during NFL Network interview

Hawk Central

There were a pair of Beathards on NFL Network this week.

The Beathards celebrate C.J.'s selection by the San Francisco 49ers. From left: former Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard; his girlfriend, Maddy; his mother, Susan; his youngest sister, Tatum; his dad, Casey; his grandpa and former NFL general manager, Bobby; his grandma, Christine.

First up was Bobby Beathard, a longtime NFL general manager known most for his three-Super Bowl tenure with the Washington Redskins. He's a Class of 2018 nominee for the Hall of Fame, so the NFL Network had him on for an interview Wednesday.

But about midway through, Beathard got a surprise: his grandson, former Hawkeye quarterback C.J. Beathard (know him?), joined the conversation from California. The two Beathards appeared via split screen, with gramps on the left and grandson on the right.

"What’s up, Grandpa?" C.J. asked.

"Not much, C.J. How’d they do that?" Bobby laughed

"I don’t know," his grandson responded. "It’s technology now. It’s crazy what they can do."

C.J. Beathard, the backup quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, discussed how, as a kid, he wasn't sure what his grandpa did. All he knew was he could go to NFL training camps because of Bobby.

"As you get older, you start to realize really the impact that he had on the NFL and what kind of legend he is in the NFL," Beathard said. "You really start to realize what he did, and you’re just really blessed to learn the things you did from him — not only as a general manger, but as a person."

Bobby Beathard was also asked to give his scout's take on C.J.'s 62-yard touchdown run from the 49ers' preseason game versus the Chargers.

"It's funny. I knew he could run," the Hall of Fame nominee said. "I've seen him all through high school and Pop Warner and all the other stuff. So I knew he could run; he's got speed. But in the NFL, it's harder to do that, so that was one of the real exciting things I've seen him do."

Bobby Beathard began his NFL career in 1963 as a part-time scout with the Kansas City Chiefs. He then scouted for the Atlanta Falcons before becoming director of player personnel for Don Shula's Miami Dolphins in the early 1970s.

In 1978, Washington hired Beathard as general manager, and he helped lead it to three Super Bowls and two championships from 1978-88. He was the San Diego Chargers' general manager from 1990-99, helping that organization make its first Super Bowl in 1994.

Matthew Bain covers preps, recruiting and the Hawkeyes for the Iowa City Press-Citizen, The Des Moines Register and HawkCentral. Contact him at mbain@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @MatthewBain_.