Ex-NFL player disappears. The only clues? Shoes, socks, and sand in an abandoned vehicle

Former NFL cornerback Sam Beal was last seen on July 12, 2025, when he dropped off his girlfriend at a family member’s house in Michigan before borrowing her car to head to work. He never arrived.

Authorities located the girlfriend’s vehicle, abandoned. Inside, investigators discovered some of Beal’s personal items, the only physical clues uncovered so far in the football player’s disappearance.

According to Virginia news outlet WAVY, rather than heading to work as he mentioned, Beal, 29, instead headed southeast toward Virginia Beach, more than 600 miles from his Michigan home.

The following day, on July 13, Beal spoke briefly with his girlfriend from Virginia Beach, stating he intended to head back to Michigan. He never arrived, and no one has seen or heard from him since.

What happened to Sam Beal?

When police found the car, Beal’s shoes and socks were in the front passenger area, and sand covered part of the floor. According to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), Beal had only the clothes he was wearing, foam sandals, and his wallet, with his driver’s license and bank card, with him when he vanished.

Beal’s sister, Essence Zhane, recently shared a photo of a paid parking ticket found among his items. The ticket was for a beachfront lot in Virginia Beach, time-stamped at approximately 6:00 p.m. on July 13, 2025. This is currently the last physical “trace” of his location.

Reports also confirm that the sand found in the car was located specifically on the front passenger seat and floor, which investigators find unusual, given that he was supposedly the driver.

Beal’s family has made public appeals for help, urging anyone with information to contact the local police departments. His sister has repeatedly shared emotional messages on social media as the search continues.

Who is Sam Beal?

The New York Giants selected Beal in the third round of the 2018 NFL Supplemental Draft after playing at Western Michigan University. A shoulder injury sidelined him early in his career, and he opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns. The Giants waived Beal late in the 2021 season, and he has not played in the NFL since then.

Off the field, Beal had previously faced legal issues, including a 2021 guilty plea to gun-related charges stemming from a 2020 arrest; he was placed on probation through 2022.

Beal’s disappearance was officially logged into NamUs in October 2025, roughly three months after he was last heard from. Authorities in both Kentwood, Michigan, and Virginia Beach, Virginia, are involved in the ongoing investigation, but no significant breakthroughs have been reported. Law enforcement continues to seek tips from the public as the investigation progresses. authorities have not yet indicated whether they suspect foul play.