Dennis Byrd obit

Dennis Byrd, former New York Jets player, dies in car crash

 

He was not on the list.

Dennis Byrd, a former New York Jets player, died Saturday in a car wreck outside Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Byrd, 50, played four years in the NFL before a paralyzing on-field injury ended his professional career in 1992. But the towering 6-foot-5-inch, 270-pound defensive lineman became remembered best for learning to walk again in less than a year after the accident, going on to serve as an inspiration to Jets players and fans alike.

Dennis Byrd, former Jets defensive lineman and inspiration, passed away today at age 50.#RIPDennisByrd

— New York Jets (@nyjets) October 16, 2016

“We are all devastated by the untimely loss of Dennis Byrd,” New York Jets Owner Woody Johnson said in a statement late Saturday. “Soft-spoken and strong-willed, the inspiration he provided to all not only by his play on the field but from the way he overcame life’s obstacles was remarkable by any measure.”

Car crash on a country highway

On Saturday morning, Byrd drove northbound on State Highway 88 outside Claremore, Oklahoma, located roughly 30 miles northeast of Tulsa, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said.

A few minutes after 11 a.m. (noon ET), a Ford Explorer traveling in the opposite direction veered into oncoming traffic, colliding head-on with Byrd’s Hummer H2.

Authorities declared Byrd dead at the crash site due to “massive injuries.”

Paramedics transported the Explorer driver, a 17-year-old Claremore resident, to St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa, authorities said. The driver, who was admitted in stable condition, sustained injuries to his head, trunk, arm, and leg. A 12-year-old passenger riding in the Ford Explorer also sustained similar injuries, authorities said.

The cause of the collision is still under investigation, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said

As news spread of Byrd’s death late Saturday, NFL players, league execs and others who knew Byrd expressed their condolences regarding his legacy

Johnson said in a statement that Byrd, whose jersey had been retired in 2012, would “never be forgotten” given the lives he touched.

In a tweet Saturday night, former New York Jets lineman Kevin Mawae described Byrd as “an inspiration to many” given his ability to bounce back from his on-field injuries.

“Dennis exemplified true determination, tremendous heart, and humility throughout his life,” Dr. Derrick Gragg, vice president and director of athletics at the University of Tulsa, Byrd’s alma mater, told CNN affiliate KTUL. “…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.”

According to the Jets organization, Byrd was living in his home state of Oklahoma where he worked as both a minister and public speaker. He is survived by his wife, Angela, and his four children.

The Jets retired Byrd's No. 90 during a half-time ceremony on October 28, 2012, against the Miami Dolphins. However, it had been informally retired for some time before then; the Jets had not reissued No. 90 since Byrd's injury.

Byrd was the co-author with journalist Michael D'Orso of an autobiographical work titled Rise and Walk: The Trial and Triumph of Dennis Byrd and the subject of a made-for-television film Rise and Walk: The Dennis Byrd Story. Peter Berg played him in the movie.

Byrd spent several years traveling across the country and sharing his life story. He served as defensive line coach at Owasso High School in Owasso, Oklahoma and later at Lincoln Christian School in Tulsa. He lived outside of Tulsa with his wife, the former Angela Hales, and their four children. He was a devout Pentecostal.

The New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL) selected Byrd in the second round of the 1989 NFL Draft, with the hope that he could succeed Mark Gastineau. He played for the Jets as a backup defensive end in a 3–4 defense in 1989, registering seven sacks. The Jets switched to a 4–3 defense in 1990, and Byrd became a defensive tackle that season. Byrd made 13 sacks in 1990 and seven sacks in 1991. He again played as a defensive end in 1992. Byrd missed a month of the 1992 season due to a shoulder injury.

Byrd suffered a neck injury during an NFL game against the Kansas City Chiefs on November 29, 1992. During the play, he rushed in an attempt to sack Chiefs quarterback Dave Krieg, but Krieg stepped up to avoid the tackle, and Byrd collided with Jets teammate Scott Mersereau. He ducked his head at the last moment before he collided with Mersereau's chest. The head-first collision broke his fifth cervical vertebrae and left him unable to walk.