Byrd suffered a paralyzing injury in 1992; the Jets defensive lineman rose to walk again, becoming an inspiration both within the game and beyond it. However his post-football life, cut short by a tragic ending last week, was both complicated and challenging.
Byrd played four seasons for the Jets
Byrd was considered one of the NFL’s promising young defensive ends during his first three seasons, racking up 27 sacks, a mark that only two players in franchise history surpassed: Mark Gastineau with 33½ in 1979-81 and John Abraham with 27½ in 2000-02.
“An eerie silence gripped the stadium as Jets doctors and trainers attended to Byrd for seven minutes,” according to a New York Times article about the game.
“Hopes were raised when Byrd moved his left arm. A few of his teammates drifted over to talk to him and hold his hand, then slowly they began to realize just how seriously injured he was.”
Three days after Byrd was injured, he underwent a seven-hour operation at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan to stabilize his spine. Doctors thought it could take two years to determine whether he would be able to regain use of the lower half of his body. At the time they were already encouraged that Byrd had been able to flex his ankles and move some toes.
By the end of January 1993, Byrd had made extensive progress in a therapy program at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan. Weeks later, using crutches, he appeared for an emotional news conference to mark the end of his rehabilitation program at the hospital.
The story of Byrd’s recovery was told in an autobiography, “Rise and Walk: The Trial and Triumph of Dennis Byrd,” and a television movie in 1994.
Byrd was born Oct. 5, 1966, in Oklahoma City, and he played for the University of Tulsa before the Jets drafted him in the second round in 1989. Derrick Gragg, the university’s vice president and director of athletics, said in a statement that Byrd “exemplified true determination, tremendous heart and humility throughout his life.”
Gragg stated, “He overcame great personal adversity after a life-altering injury on the football field,” and that “We know that Dennis touched numerous lives and will be missed by many.”.
Byrd became a motivational speaker and traveled across the country, sharing his life story, writing hundreds of letters a year and spending time with others who had neck and spinal-cord injuries.
The Jets presented him with an award as the team’s most inspirational player of 1992. Since then they have given a ‘Dennis Byrd Award’ to the most inspirational Jet every year.
In 2010, Dennis Byrd sent Rex Ryan, then the Jets’ head coach, the No. 90 jersey that had been ripped from his torso after he was injured. In 2012, Byrd became the fifth player in the franchise’s history to have his number retired.
Dennis Byrd lived in Tamala, Oklahoma, about 40 miles northeast of Tulsa, with his wife Angela and their four children according to the Jets’ website.
“Football has always been, for me, a corner post of strength and a way to accomplish things in life, whether it’s on the field or just in maintaining a quality of life. All those lessons — dedication, perseverance, teamwork — they all dovetail nicely into living a blessed life.”
“He’s a testament to hard work,” former Tulsa teammate Jerry Ostroski told the Tulsa World on Saturday night. “That’s why he got to where he was. He made himself into the player he was. He wasn’t a guy born with tremendous size. He worked hard in the weight room, gained weight, got big, had a high motor. He turned himself into a second-round draft pick in the NFL.”
“We extend our sincere condolences to Dennis’ wife Angela, their children and the entire Byrd family,” Tulsa athletic director Derrick Gragg said in a statement. “Dennis exemplified true determination, tremendous heart and humility throughout his life. He had a tremendous playing career at TU and professionally with the New York Jets.
“He overcame great personal adversity after a life-altering injury on the football field. We know that Dennis touched numerous lives and will be missed by many.”
No Jets player has worn No. 90 since Byrd, and on Oct. 28, 2012, the team honored him at halftime of its game against Miami by making him the fifth player in franchise history to have his number retired.
Every year, a Jets player is selected to receive the Dennis Byrd Most Inspirational Player award by his teammates.
jetsjoint.com
Byrd played four seasons for the Jets
Byrd was considered one of the NFL’s promising young defensive ends during his first three seasons, racking up 27 sacks, a mark that only two players in franchise history surpassed: Mark Gastineau with 33½ in 1979-81 and John Abraham with 27½ in 2000-02.
Byrd’s story had a great impact on many
Against the Chiefs, on Nov. 29, 1992, Byrd and a teammate, Scott Mersereau, collided while chasing Kansas City quarterback Dave Krieg. Byrd broke a bone in his spine and could not move his lower body.“An eerie silence gripped the stadium as Jets doctors and trainers attended to Byrd for seven minutes,” according to a New York Times article about the game.
“Hopes were raised when Byrd moved his left arm. A few of his teammates drifted over to talk to him and hold his hand, then slowly they began to realize just how seriously injured he was.”
Three days after Byrd was injured, he underwent a seven-hour operation at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan to stabilize his spine. Doctors thought it could take two years to determine whether he would be able to regain use of the lower half of his body. At the time they were already encouraged that Byrd had been able to flex his ankles and move some toes.
By the end of January 1993, Byrd had made extensive progress in a therapy program at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan. Weeks later, using crutches, he appeared for an emotional news conference to mark the end of his rehabilitation program at the hospital.
The story of Byrd’s recovery was told in an autobiography, “Rise and Walk: The Trial and Triumph of Dennis Byrd,” and a television movie in 1994.
Byrd was born Oct. 5, 1966, in Oklahoma City, and he played for the University of Tulsa before the Jets drafted him in the second round in 1989. Derrick Gragg, the university’s vice president and director of athletics, said in a statement that Byrd “exemplified true determination, tremendous heart and humility throughout his life.”
Gragg stated, “He overcame great personal adversity after a life-altering injury on the football field,” and that “We know that Dennis touched numerous lives and will be missed by many.”.
Byrd became a motivational speaker and traveled across the country, sharing his life story, writing hundreds of letters a year and spending time with others who had neck and spinal-cord injuries.
The Jets presented him with an award as the team’s most inspirational player of 1992. Since then they have given a ‘Dennis Byrd Award’ to the most inspirational Jet every year.
In 2010, Dennis Byrd sent Rex Ryan, then the Jets’ head coach, the No. 90 jersey that had been ripped from his torso after he was injured. In 2012, Byrd became the fifth player in the franchise’s history to have his number retired.
Dennis Byrd lived in Tamala, Oklahoma, about 40 miles northeast of Tulsa, with his wife Angela and their four children according to the Jets’ website.
“Football has always been, for me, a corner post of strength and a way to accomplish things in life, whether it’s on the field or just in maintaining a quality of life. All those lessons — dedication, perseverance, teamwork — they all dovetail nicely into living a blessed life.”
“He’s a testament to hard work,” former Tulsa teammate Jerry Ostroski told the Tulsa World on Saturday night. “That’s why he got to where he was. He made himself into the player he was. He wasn’t a guy born with tremendous size. He worked hard in the weight room, gained weight, got big, had a high motor. He turned himself into a second-round draft pick in the NFL.”
“We extend our sincere condolences to Dennis’ wife Angela, their children and the entire Byrd family,” Tulsa athletic director Derrick Gragg said in a statement. “Dennis exemplified true determination, tremendous heart and humility throughout his life. He had a tremendous playing career at TU and professionally with the New York Jets.
“He overcame great personal adversity after a life-altering injury on the football field. We know that Dennis touched numerous lives and will be missed by many.”
No Jets player has worn No. 90 since Byrd, and on Oct. 28, 2012, the team honored him at halftime of its game against Miami by making him the fifth player in franchise history to have his number retired.
Every year, a Jets player is selected to receive the Dennis Byrd Most Inspirational Player award by his teammates.
Jets Fans United: Legend & Life of No. 90 Dennis Byrd - Jets Joint
Byrd suffered a paralyzing injury in 1992, the Jets defensive lineman rose to walk again, becoming an inspiration both within the game and beyond it. But his post-football life, cut short by a tragic ending last week, was complicated and challenging.
jetsjoint.com
