Dennis Byrd, a former NLF defensive lineman on the New York Jets, was killed recently in a car accident.
His promising career had come to an abrupt end in 1992 when he was paralyzed mid-game. He smashed into a teammate while the two were trying to sack the quarterback. Byrd suffered a fractured vertebrae and severe spinal cord damage. His doctors did not think he would walk again, let alone play football. He proved them wrong – practically a miracle after having suffered a fracture of the C-5 vertebrae. Located along the cervical spine of the neck, it’s the same area that’s often associated with whiplash injuries in a car crash.
Sadly, this was the fate Byrd ultimately suffered, bringing to a close the final chapter of an inspiring athlete.