'Saved my life': John Beam's former players mourn their beloved mentor after fatal shooting

When Damon Owens met football coach John Beam, he was a flailing sophomore at Oakland’s Skyline High School on the verge of dropping out.

When Damon Owens met football coach John Beam, he was a flailing sophomore at Oakland’s Skyline High School on the verge of dropping out. But the now-52-year-old credits Beam for changing the course of his life by giving him an opportunity to be part of something bigger than himself.

“Most young people, all they need is a chance, and they also need a support structure around it, around the potential,” Owens told NBC News. “He saw potential in me that I didn’t see myself, but he also surrounded us with the necessary support in order to galvanize that potential and grow it.”

Beam died on Friday, succumbing to his injuries after a shooting at Laney College in Oakland, California, officials said. Authorities arrested 27-year-old Cedric Irving in connection with the fatal attack. Oakland Assistant Police Chief James Beere said the two men knew each other, but he did not elaborate on their connection.

John Beam in "Last Chance U."NetflixOwens was traveling back from a conference in Texas when he saw news of the shooting. Calling the tragedy “surreal,” he said he teared up on the plane ride home, hoping doctors would be able to save Beam by the time he landed.

He spoke to Beam recently in a call he described as the two men just checking in on each other. Beam congratulated Owens on his success as a pastor and a business owner, asking him to come speak to his students sometime.