# Beau Gardner
**Beau Gardner** (full name Beggs Barnum Gardner; born 2001 in San Francisco, California) is an [American football](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-football) long snapper for the [Chicago Bears](https://www.edgepedia.org/chicago-bears) of the [National Football League](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-football-league), who signed with the team as an undrafted free agent in 2026 after a college career at UCLA and the University of Georgia.[1](https://www.chicagobears.com/team/players-roster/beau-gardner/) • [2](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GardBe01.htm)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Position, team | Long snapper, No. 45, Chicago Bears; rookie experience, 6 ft 5 in, 249 lb[1](https://www.chicagobears.com/team/players-roster/beau-gardner/) |
| Born | 2001, San Francisco, CA[2](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GardBe01.htm) |
| College | UCLA (2020–23), Georgia (2024–25)[1](https://www.chicagobears.com/team/players-roster/beau-gardner/) |
| College honors | First-Team All-SEC (Coaches) in 2024 and 2025; Patrick Mannelly Award finalist in 2024 and winner in 2025; AFCA All-America First Team in 2025[3](https://georgiadogs.com/sports/football/roster/beau-gardner/8281) |
| Georgia appearances | 28 games over two seasons, handling long snapping in all of them[1](https://www.chicagobears.com/team/players-roster/beau-gardner/) |
| NFL transactions | Signed as an undrafted free agent 05/07/2026; waived 09/22/26; signed to the Bears' practice squad 09/24/26[1](https://www.chicagobears.com/team/players-roster/beau-gardner/) • [4](https://www.footballdb.com/players/beau-gardner-gardnbe03/transactions) |
## Early life and high school
Gardner prepped at St. Ignatius College Prep in San Francisco, where he played offensive and defensive line for the Wildcats.[1](https://www.chicagobears.com/team/players-roster/beau-gardner/) He was named to the 2019 West Catholic Athletic League First Team and to the 2020 All-Bay Area Preps HQ Third Team, and he also played lacrosse at the school.[3](https://georgiadogs.com/sports/football/roster/beau-gardner/8281) Recruiting service 247Sports rated him a three-star prospect.[3](https://georgiadogs.com/sports/football/roster/beau-gardner/8281)
## College career
**UCLA (2020–2023).** Gardner spent four seasons with the Bruins but did not see game action in 2020 or 2021, appearing in three games as a reserve snapper in 2022 (against Alabama State, Colorado, and Cal). He became UCLA's full-time long snapper in 2023, appearing in all 13 games as the snapper for all kicks and punts.[1](https://www.chicagobears.com/team/players-roster/beau-gardner/) • [3](https://georgiadogs.com/sports/football/roster/beau-gardner/8281) He was named to the Pac-12 2021–22 Fall Academic Honor Roll and to UCLA's Athletic Director's Honor Roll in multiple terms, and he graduated from UCLA with a bachelor's degree in political science.[3](https://georgiadogs.com/sports/football/roster/beau-gardner/8281)
**Georgia (2024–2025).** Gardner transferred to Georgia as a graduate student and became the Bulldogs' starting long snapper, appearing in all 14 games in each of his two seasons, 28 games in total.[1](https://www.chicagobears.com/team/players-roster/beau-gardner/) • [3](https://georgiadogs.com/sports/football/roster/beau-gardner/8281) In 2024 he was a Coaches First-Team All-SEC selection and a finalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award, given to the nation's best long snapper; Georgia's game notes describe him as the school's first finalist for that award.[3](https://georgiadogs.com/sports/football/roster/beau-gardner/8281) • [5](https://georgiadogs.com/documents/download/2025/11/17/25FB_GameNotes_Charlotte.pdf) In 2025 he won the Patrick Mannelly Award, repeated as Coaches First-Team All-SEC, and earned AFCA First-Team All-America honors. That season Georgia's specialists went 15 for 16 on field goals and ranked eighth nationally in net punting at 43.12 yards.[3](https://georgiadogs.com/sports/football/roster/beau-gardner/8281)
## Professional career
The Bears signed Gardner on May 7, 2026, as an undrafted free agent.[1](https://www.chicagobears.com/team/players-roster/beau-gardner/) He appeared in the team's first two regular-season games of 2026, a 59–37 win at Carolina and a 3–9 loss to Minnesota, recording one assisted tackle.[2](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GardBe01.htm) On September 22, 2026, Chicago waived him and signed long snapper Scott Daly from the Saints' practice squad; two days later the Bears re-signed Gardner to their own practice squad.[4](https://www.footballdb.com/players/beau-gardner-gardnbe03/transactions) • [6](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/news.fcgi?id=GardBe01)
## Namesakes
A different Beau Gardner, a tight end from Northern Arizona, appears in some NFL databases; the long snapper from UCLA and Georgia is the subject of the Bears' roster and Pro-Football-[Reference](https://www.edgepedia.org/reference) entries cited here.[7](https://www.playerprofiler.com/nfl/beau-gardner/)
## References
1. [Beau Gardner, Chicago Bears roster](https://www.chicagobears.com/team/players-roster/beau-gardner/)
2. [Beau Gardner Stats, Pro-Football-Reference](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GardBe01.htm)
3. [Beau Gardner, 2024 Football Roster, University of Georgia Athletics](https://georgiadogs.com/sports/football/roster/beau-gardner/8281)
4. [Beau Gardner Transactions, The Football Database](https://www.footballdb.com/players/beau-gardner-gardnbe03/transactions)
5. [Georgia Football Game Notes vs. Charlotte (2025)](https://georgiadogs.com/documents/download/2025/11/17/25FB_GameNotes_Charlotte.pdf)
6. [Beau Gardner News Archive, Pro-Football-Reference](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/news.fcgi?id=GardBe01)
7. [Beau Gardner Stats & Fantasy Ranking, PlayerProfiler](https://www.playerprofiler.com/nfl/beau-gardner/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › American football players, coaches, and executives › Return specialists*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license