A head-on collision Saturday on Oklahoma Highway 88 resulted in the death of ex-New York Jet Dennis Byrd, who passed away at the age of 50.
Byrd was driving a 2004 Hummer H2 and was struck by a vehicle that veered into his lane. Byrd was pronounced dead at the scene, while the two people in the other car are in critical condition.
Byrd had his career cut short back in 1992 after sustaining a neck injury. His head slammed into one of his teammates and it was feared that, after getting injured, he was never going to walk again. After rehabilitating for a long period of time, Byrd was able to walk with some difficulty.
Byrd went onto be a motivational speaker and then a TV analyst for CBS. He also became a major motivational speaker to people around the world, though he would come back to inspire his former franchise as well.
His No. 90 ended up getting retired by the Jets, one of only five players receive that honor. In his short career with the team he finished with 28 sacks in four seasons.
It is always heartbreaking when a person dies before their time but after overcoming so much adversity, this just doesn’t seem fair. The legacy that Byrd left won’t be forgotten anytime soon. Being a beam of light in a dark world isn’t easy, Byrd was someone that anyone could look up to.
[ESPN]
