Injury and Recovery
Byrd suffered a neck injury during an NFL game against the Kansas City Chiefs on November 29, 1992. During the play, he rushed in an attempt to sack Chiefs quarterback Dave Krieg, but Krieg stepped up to avoid the tackle, and Byrd collided with Jets teammate Scott Mersereau. He ducked his head at the last moment before he collided with Mersereau's chest. The head-first collision resulted in a broken C-5 vertebra that left him unable to walk for the time being. Eventually, after extensive physical therapy, he would walk again but he couldn't go back to playing football.
During his recovery, the Jets briefly used an ichthys logo bearing his old #90. In addition, some members (mainly offensive linemen) from the Buffalo Bills also wore it as a sign of support (the first game following his injury was against the Bills).
Byrd returned to the Meadowlands for the Jets' home opener on September 5, 1993, walking to midfield as an honorary captain for the coin toss. During a halftime ceremony, Jets president Steve Gutman presented him with a trophy for the Most Inspirational Player Award, which would thereafter be called the Dennis Byrd Award.
Read more about this topic: Dennis Byrd
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