John Beam sat in Soldier Field less than a month ago like a proud father.
And in a way, he was.
New Orleans Saints defensive back Rejzohn Wright was on one sideline, and Chicago Bears defensive back Nahshon Wright was on the other.
While Beam isn’t actually the Wright brothers’ dad, he’s been there for them ever since they no longer had one.
Rejzohn and Nahshon’s father was shot and killed in December 2017.
Rejzohn was still in high school at the time.
His older brother was playing at Laney College in Oakland, where Beam was the head coach.
“When our dad was shot and killed, the next morning Beam came and woke both of us up,” Rejzohn Wright recalls. “The rest is history.”
Rejzohn ended up following in his big brother’s footsteps and went to Laney, the beginning of a path that eventually led both of them to the NFL.
Beam was proud of his two former players, which is why he made sure to be at Soldier Field on Oct. 19 when the Bears beat the Saints 26-14.
Little did Rejzohn know that would be the last time he’d ever see Beam.
Beam was shot Thursday on the campus of Laney College and died a day later.
Now the Wrights have lost both a father and a father figure to gun violence.
Rejzohn reflected on both incidents Monday morning.
“That was a tough time,” Wright said about losing his father eight years ago. “So to have someone that I had never met to wake me up the next day and come get us and tell us he had our back for the rest of our lives, that meant everything. Then for him to actually have been there for us ever since. That’s a one-of-a-kind person.”
If it wasn’t for Beam, Wright knows he wouldn’t have been sitting in the Saints locker room doing this interview. Heck, he wouldn't have been in any NFL locker room. Wright missed three months of high school after his father was killed. Beam gave him a chance. A last chance, which is fitting since Laney was the backdrop for the fifth and final season of the Netflix documentary "Last Chance U."
There was one lesson that Beam taught Wright that will always stick with him.
“Just be humble,” said Wright, now in his second season with the Saints. “For me, it was to be humble and to understand that I wasn’t good enough at the time. I was good, but I wasn’t great. He always kept me grounded.”
The relationship with Beam was rock solid, despite the poetic liberty the documentary sometimes took. The documentary itself, though, was a good thing for Wright.
“It was a one-of-a-kind experience,” Wright said. “I was 18 in a bad part of the world driving two hours every day to a junior college. It was unique. It put me out there recruiting wise.”
After his time at Laney, Wright played at Oregon State. He went undrafted in 2023 but ended up in training camp with the Carolina Panthers. They cut him at the end of camp, and the rest of that season was just him working out for teams. The Saints signed him after the 2023 season. He was placed on injured reserve during the 2024 season after a toe injury but came back and made the team this season.
Wright has played in three games this season. His playing time has come on special teams. But he believes his time is coming. Beam reminded him of that in Chicago.
“He told me to stay focused, stay in it,” Wright said. “He reminded me that I’m taking the steps that I need to become something in this league. Keep staying grounded and eventually it’ll come. Kinda like it did for my brother.”
His big brother has four interceptions, tied for fourth in the NFL.
One of those four picks came in that game against the Saints with Beam watching. Another one came Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings, two days after Beam’s death.
“I gained an angel,” Nahshon told the media after Sunday's game. … “He was watching over me.”
Watching over Nashon and Rejzohn just like he promised he would on that life-changing morning in 2017. Beam cared about everyone. It’s why tributes from athletes like Damian Lillard and Maxx Crosby flooded social media.
“Beam had connections everywhere,” Rejzohn said.
Tulane coach Jon Sumrall spent time as an assistant at the University of San Diego and knew Beam from his time there.
“He had a heart for people,” Sumrall said. “He had a presence about him. He could be stern, but at the same time, loving and gentle. He had a really cool demeanor. I was heartbroken. I still am.”
So are the Wright brothers. During the offseason, they would go back to Laney College and just sit and talk to the guy who was a father figure to them. They’d talk everything from football to finances.
“He was just a super big part of our lives, even outside of just being a coach,” Rejzohn said.
Rejzohn got the bad news Thursday during the Saints’ bye week as he was driving to Georgia. Funeral arrangements haven’t been finalized yet, but Wright is hoping to be able to attend. He wants to be there for the Beam family just like the Beam family has always been there for him.
“If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be here,” Wright said. “He came and got us out of a funk.”
Where would Wright be if it wasn’t for Beam bringing him to Last Chance U?
“I don’t know,” Wright said. “But if we’re being honest, probably nowhere.”