Inspirational ex-Jets DE Dennis Byrd killed in Oklahoma highway crash
http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/17803790
Dennis Byrd, a former New York Jets defensive end whose career was cut short in 1992 because of a broken neck, was killed in a head-on vehicle collision Saturday near his home in Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol confirmed to ESPN.
Byrd, 50, was pronounced dead at the scene due to massive injuries.
The Oologah-Talala Emergency Medical Services said the crash happened at about 11 a.m. between Oologah and Claremore.
Byrd, who was driving a 2004 Hummer H2, was struck by a vehicle traveling northbound on Oklahoma Highway 88 that veered into his lane. The other car, a 2000 Ford Explorer, was driven by a 17-year-old Claremore youth.
The 17-year-old driver and a 12-year-old passenger in Byrd's car, both in critical condition, were transported to Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa.
The 6-foot-5, 270-pound Byrd, a second-round draft pick of the Jets in 1989 out of the University of Tulsa, became a legendary player in team history. He played only four years, but his inspirational story became the subject of a book and a TV movie starring actor-director Peter Berg.
On Nov. 29, 1992, Byrd slammed headfirst into the chest of teammate Scott Mersereau in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Byrd suffered extensive damage to his neck and spinal cord, and doctors weren't sure if he would walk again.
After a vigorous rehabilitation over the next several months, Byrd returned to the Meadowlands for the Jets' opening game the following season and walked -- gingerly but unaided -- to midfield as an honorary captain.
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Dennis Byrd, a former New York Jets defensive end whose career was cut short in 1992 because of a broken neck, was killed in a head-on vehicle collision Saturday near his home in Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol confirmed to ESPN.
Byrd, 50, was pronounced dead at the scene due to massive injuries.
The Oologah-Talala Emergency Medical Services said the crash happened at about 11 a.m. between Oologah and Claremore.
Byrd, who was driving a 2004 Hummer H2, was struck by a vehicle traveling northbound on Oklahoma Highway 88 that veered into his lane. The other car, a 2000 Ford Explorer, was driven by a 17-year-old Claremore youth.
The 17-year-old driver and a 12-year-old passenger in Byrd's car, both in critical condition, were transported to Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa.
The 6-foot-5, 270-pound Byrd, a second-round draft pick of the Jets in 1989 out of the University of Tulsa, became a legendary player in team history. He played only four years, but his inspirational story became the subject of a book and a TV movie starring actor-director Peter Berg.
On Nov. 29, 1992, Byrd slammed headfirst into the chest of teammate Scott Mersereau in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Byrd suffered extensive damage to his neck and spinal cord, and doctors weren't sure if he would walk again.
After a vigorous rehabilitation over the next several months, Byrd returned to the Meadowlands for the Jets' opening game the following season and walked -- gingerly but unaided -- to midfield as an honorary captain.
