Jairus Byrd
Encyclopedia
2009 season
Byrd was drafted by the Buffalo BillsBuffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the second round (42nd overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
. After spending the first couple of games as a backup Byrd started his first career game at free safety against the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
due to injuries to both the Bills starting safeties Donte Whitner
Donte Whitner
Donte Whitner is an American football safety for the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bills in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at the Ohio State University...
and Bryan Scott
Bryan Scott
Bryan Anderson Scott is an American football safety for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
. He finished the game with three tackles. In his second start the next week Byrd recorded his first career interception off of Derek Anderson
Derek Anderson (American football)
Derek Matthew Anderson is an American football quarterback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
of the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Starting for the third straight week Byrd recorded two more interceptions off of Mark Sanchez
Mark Sanchez
Mark Travis John Sanchez is an American football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League . He was drafted in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft as the fifth overall selection by the Jets and the second quarterback taken overall...
of the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
bringing his total to three. The next week against the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
Byrd had his second straight game of two interceptions, both of them coming off of Jake Delhomme
Jake Delhomme
Jake Christopher Delhomme is an American football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. Delhomme played college football at Louisiana-Lafayette before being signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 1997...
, bringing his total to five. For his play, he was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month for October.
In week 8 against the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Byrd recorded two interceptions for the third consecutive week, bringing his total to seven. This tied an NFL record held by Dave Baker
Dave Baker
Dave Baker was a defensive back in the NFL, playing for the San Francisco 49ers for three years....
for consecutive games with two or more interceptions with three. After the Bills bye week Byrd intercepted his eighth pass of the season off of Vince Young
Vince Young
Vincent Paul Young, Jr. , nicknamed "VY", is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He spent the first five seasons of his career with the Tennessee Titans. Young was the third overall draft pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college...
of the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
. This was his fifth straight game with an interception, setting the team record for consecutive games with an interception. He intercepted his ninth pass of the season off of Matt Cassel
Matt Cassel
Matthew Brennan "Matt" Cassel is a quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
of the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
.
On December 23 Byrd was placed on season ending injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
. He finished the season starting 11 of 14 games, recording 45 tackles and nine interceptions. The nine interceptions were tied for the league lead and was five more than any other rookie had. For his play, he was selected to play in the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
, becoming the first Bills rookie to be selected to play in a Pro Bowl since Greg Bell in 1984. However, he was unable to play and was replaced by Brandon Meriweather
Brandon Meriweather
Brandon Meriweather is an American football safety for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 24th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami.-Early years:Meriweather's mother gave birth to him when...
. He was also a member of the Sporting News all-rookie team.
Personal
His father, Gill ByrdGill Byrd
Gill Arnette Byrd,http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/ByrdGi00.htm is a former professional American football player. He was a two time Pro Bowl cornerback in 1991 and 1992 for the San Diego Chargers after graduating from San Jose State University. He was inducted into the Chargers...
, played in the National Football League from 1983 to 1992, and is currently an assistant coach with the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.