Keith Byars
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Keith Byars | |
|---|---|
 Byars in Tikrit, Iraq, signing autographs during a February 2006 troop visit. |
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| Date of birth | October 14, 1963 |
| Place of birth | Dayton, OH |
| Position(s) | RB |
| College | Ohio State |
| NFL Draft | 1986 / Round 1/ Pick 10 |
| Pro Bowls | 1993 |
| Statistics | |
| Team(s) | |
| 1986-1992 1993-1996 1996-1997 1998 |
Philadelphia Eagles Miami Dolphins New England Patriots New York Jets |
Keith Byars (born October 14, 1963) is a sports broadcaster and former American football player.
Contents |
[edit] College career
Byars was a tailback at Ohio State University from 1982 to 1985. In 1984, he was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy (to Doug Flutie) after a season where he gained an OSU record 2,441 all-purpose yards, including a then-school record 1,764 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns. He was a unanimous first-team All-America selection, and voted the Big Ten Conference Most Valuable Player. Byars finished his 4 seasons at Ohio State with 4,369 total yards, 3,200 rushing yards, and 50 touchdowns. His 50 touchdowns were the second most in school history.
[edit] NFL career
As a professional, he played fullback for the Philadelphia Eagles (1986-1992), Miami Dolphins (1993-1996), New England Patriots (1996-1997), and the New York Jets (1998). Byars was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1993.
A superb rusher, blocker, and pass receiver, Byars was a vital contributor for every team he played on. In 1988 he rushed for 517 yards, recorded 71 receptions(ranking him 9th in the NFL), and scored 10 touchdowns. In the Eagles 20-12 loss to the Chicago Bears in the postseason, he rushed for 34 yards and caught 9 passes for 103 yards. In 1990, he recorded 81 receptions for 819 yards, the third most receptions in the NFL, rushed for 141 yards, and even completed 4 of 4 passes for 53 yards and 4 touchdowns. In the 1996 season, Byars made his first and only championship appearance, playing with the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI. His team lost the game 35-21, but the 33-year old Byars had a good performance in it, catching 4 passes for 42 yards and a touchdown.
In his 13 seasons, Byars rushed for 3,109 yards, caught 610 passes for 5,661 yards, returned 5 kickoffs for 94 yards, and completed 6 of 13 passes for 119 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 1 interception. He also scored 54 touchdowns (23 rushing and 31 receiving)
[edit] After Retirement
He is currently a pre- and post-game radio analyst for Ohio State University football games. He is also a television analyst for "New York Football Weekly" and This Week in Football on the YES Network.
| Preceded by: Don Thorp |
Big Ten Football MVP 1984 |
Succeeded by: Chuck Long |
| Preceded by: John Frank |
Ohio State Buckeyes Football Season MVP 1984 |
Succeeded by: Jim Karsatos |
| Preceded by: Tim Spencer |
Ohio State Buckeyes Starting Tailbacks 1983-1984 |
Succeeded by: John Wooldridge |
| Preceded by: Mike Rozier |
NCAA Football Rushing Leader 1984 |
Succeeded by: Lorenzo White |
| Preceded by: Mike Rozier |
NCAA Football Scoring Leader 1984 |
Succeeded by: Bernard White |
| Preceded by: Napoleon McCallum |
NCAA Football All-Purpose Yards Leader 1984 |
Succeeded by: Napoleon McCallum |
| Ohio State Buckeyes Football I-Formation Tailbacks |
|---|
| Griffin • Logan • Springs • Murray • Spencer • Byars • Wooldridge • Workman • Snow • Smith • Harris • George • Pearson • Wiley • Combs • Wells • Clarett • Ross • Pittman |
[edit] External links
- Biography from the YES Network website
- Where Are They Now: RB Keith Byars, an October 2004 article from the Philadelphia Eagles website
- College football career summary from the Ohio State University website
Categories: 1963 births | Living people | American football running backs | American radio personalities | Ohio State Buckeyes football players | Ohio State Varsity O Hall of Fame | Ohio State University alumni | Philadelphia Eagles players | Miami Dolphins players | New England Patriots players | New York Jets players | Sports commentators | People from Dayton, Ohio
