40 days until LA Chargers football: Joe Beauchamp owns a Charger record

We are 40 days away from seeing the LA Chargers back in action.

We here at Bolt Beat have been counting down the days until the LA Chargers are back in action. If everything goes as planned with the 2020 NFL season, counting today, we are officially 40 days away from the Chargers’ Week 1 showdown against first overall pick Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals.

To count down the season, we have been naming the best players in franchise history that wore the uniform number that corresponds with the number of days remaining. Thus far, the only active Chargers to be included in this series are Melvin Ingram and Sam Tevi, of all people.

With only 40 days remaining, we look back at someone who played for the Chargers in their earliest days in the AFL, who also happens to hold a team record that still stands to this day.

The greatest number 40 in LA Chargers’ history: Joe Beauchamp

Joe Beauchamp was a member of the Chargers secondary from 1966 to 1975, spending time both at cornerback and at safety. In his 10 years with a Charger he was a starter in most of his games, starting a total of 97 games with the Bolts.

Beauchamp was never a Pro Bowler nor All-Pro and never stuck out as one of the best players in the secondary in the league. However, he was a playmaker that was great in forcing turnovers and was absolutely an above-average NFL player, hence why he lasted as long as he did.

Beauchamp retired with 23 interceptions and three pick-sixes, all coming with the Bolts. Beauchamp is sixth in franchise history in total interceptions and is one of just five players with three or more pick-sixes. Eric Weddle is the most recent player in Chargers history with three pick-sixes.

The record that Beauchamp holds is the most interceptions in a game. On September 24, 1972, Beauchamp picked off the Denver Broncos three times, making him one of nine players in franchise history to have a three-interception game.

Beauchamp was the first player in team history to do it after the AFL-NFL merger, though.

Out of every player in franchise history to ever wear the number 40, Beauchamp blows out the competition in career Approximate Value with the team. Beauchamp finished with 51 career AV, the next highest player finished with 32. No one else finished with above 20.