North Carolina State University Athletics
Hall of Famer Byrd to Be Honored Saturday
9/1/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 1, 2010
DALLAS - NC State and The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame will jointly honor the late Dennis Byrd with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute September 4 as the Wolfpack hosts Western Carolina in Raleigh.
Members of the Byrd family will accept the honor on his behalf. The game is scheduled to be carried on ESPN3.
"Dennis Byrd was the best that has ever played his position at NC State, and he will remain in our hearts forever," said David Horning, executive senior associate director of athletics at NC State. "He was a leader, a motivator, and inspired many throughout his life. He will always be remembered at NC State for his dominant play and his commitment to his team. There will never be another Dennis Byrd."
On May 27, the NFF announced that Byrd, a two-time All-American defensive tackle for the Wolfpack, will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a member of the 2010 class. Byrd subsequently passed away July 23 and will now be honored posthumously.
"I'm surprised, shocked and elated. It's quite an honor to be going into the Hall of Fame with the group of fellows that I've been picked with," said Byrd at the time of the announcement in May.
Throughout the season, each Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) College Football Hall of Fame inductee is recognized during a special on-field event at his school where a commemorative plaque is presented to the university for permanent display. Beginning with the NFF's inaugural Hall of Fame class in 1951, the On-Campus Salute has served as the first of numerous highlights in the hall of fame experience, giving the school's fans the chance to cheer the names of their greatest legends one more time.
"Dennis Byrd possessed a rare combination of size and agility that helped him make history at NC State," said NFF President and CEO Steve Hatchell. "He played the game because he loved it, and there is nobody more deserving of a spot in the College Football Hall of Fame than Dennis Byrd. We look forward to the tremendous honor of traveling to Carter-Finley Stadium to hear the crowds cheer his name in appreciation."
Byrd, a stalwart for coach Earle Edwards, was the first player in Atlantic Coast Conference history to be named a three-time first-team All-ACC selection, and he was the first NC State player ever to garner consensus All-American honors. As a member of the Wolfpack's famed "White Shoes" defense, he led NC State to a share of the 1965 ACC title en route to earning the school's first-ever post-season appearance, defeating Georgia in the 1967 Liberty Bowl. Drafted as the sixth overall pick in the 1968 NFL Draft, Byrd played only two seasons with the Boston Patriots due to a nagging knee injury sustained in the latter part of his senior season at NC State.
He then embarked on a 30-year teaching and coaching career at the high school level and retired in 2001. Byrd was named an ACC Football Legend and inducted into the NC State Sports Hall of Fame in 2007. He is also the only defensive player to have his jersey retired at his alma mater.
Byrd, who resided in Elizabeth City, N.C., is survived by his wife Kimberly and four children. Byrd will be the sixth NC State player or coach inducted into the Hall of Fame, and the Wolfpack's first defensive player to receive the honor. NC State players in the hall of fame (with year of induction) include Roman Gabriel (1989), Jack McDowall (1975) and Jim Ritcher (1998). Coaches in the Hall of Fame with a stop at NC State include Lou Holtz (2008) and Buck Shaw (1972).
For a complete list of players and coaches in the hall, please visit www.collegefootball.org.
This year's hall of fame class includes Dennis Byrd (North Carolina State); Ronnie Caveness (Arkansas); Ray Childress (Texas A&M); Randy Cross (UCLA); Sam Cunningham (Southern California); Mark Herrmann (Purdue); Clarkston Hines (Duke); Desmond Howard (Michigan); Chet Moeller (Navy); Jerry Stovall (LSU); Pat Tillman (Arizona State); Alfred Williams (Colorado); and coaches Barry Alvarez (Wisconsin) and Gene Stallings (Texas A&M, Alabama).
