Weixlmann's Tidbits: Oregon Defensive Back Jairus Byrd Coming into His Own

As the Missouri 4A Player of the Year, senior quarterback/safety Jairus Byrd led Clayton High School to the state championship. He was thought of as an idol at the school, but no one really knew what the future held for Byrd. Scouts said he was too small and too slow. Apparently his 5'11" frame and 4.65 speed weren't appealing to the elite FBS programs. The most heralded schools that offered Byrd a spot were Oregon, UCLA, and Louisville, and the facilities caught Byrd's eye in Eugene, Oregon. The one thing that scouts didn't take into account were Byrd's football instincts. His father, Gil, played in the NFL and holds the career interceptions record with the San Diego Chargers. "JB," as he is known, had the football ability in his genes, but he still had to work extremely hard to get where he is today. After being redshirted his freshman year at Oregon, Byrd came in relatively unknown to join All-American Patrick Chung and All-Pac-10 performer Walter Thurmond III in the Ducks' secondary.  ... (link)