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Overview
Jairus Keelon Byrd is a safety for the Buffalo Bills, who selected him with the 42nd overall pick in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. Byrd played collegiately at the University of Oregon, where he was a first team All-Pac-10 selection. After his junior season, Byrd chose to forgo his final year of eligibility and enter the 2009 NFL Draft. Byrd is 6-feet tall and weighs 205 pounds. His first name is pronounced JER-us.
Prep Career
Byrd was a star at quarterback, safety, wide receiver and special teams for Clayton High School in Clayton, MO. As a senior, he rushed for 1,480 yards and 26 touchdowns while passing for 1,038 yards and 13 touchdowns, earning Missouri 4A Offensive Player of the Year honors. Despite his offensive prowess, Byrd was primarily recruited as a defensive player and signed with Oregon.
College Career
Byrd sat out the 2005 season as a redshirt and went into 2006 as a reserve. However, he was pressed into starting duty at cornerback, and led Oregon in interceptions. He was the Pac-10 co-Freshman of the Year and a second team Freshman All-America selection by The Sporting News. An All-Pac 10 selection in his final two seasons (honorable mention in 2007, first team in 2008), Byrd finished his career second on Oregon's career interceptions list. In his final college game, he was named the Defensive MVP of the Holiday Bowl, leading Oregon to a 42-31 win over Oklahoma State.
Personal
Byrd's father, Gill Byrd Sr., played 10 seasons in the NFL and is the San Diego Chargers all-time leader in interceptions. Byrd's brother, Gill Byrd Jr., played defensive back at New Mexico State.
NFL Career
Jairus Byrd was selected in the second round (42nd overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. Three days after the start of training camp, Byrd signed a four-year contract with Buffalo. At that point, it was revealed that Byrd had undergone sports hernia surgery two weeks earlier. He missed the first two weeks of camp, including the Bills first two preseason games.
Byrd returned in time for the 2009 regular season. After failing to record an interception in the Bills first four games of the season, Byrd had seven in a four-week span, earning defensive Rookie of the Month honors for October. He became the second player in NFL history to record multiple interceptions in three consecutive games, joining Dave Baker, who did it in 1960 for the San Francisco 49ers.
Byrd returned in time for the 2009 regular season. After failing to record an interception in the Bills first four games of the season, Byrd had seven in a four-week span, earning defensive Rookie of the Month honors for October. He became the second player in NFL history to record multiple interceptions in three consecutive games, joining Dave Baker, who did it in 1960 for the San Francisco 49ers.
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