Butch Byrd

George Edward "Butch" Byrd (born September 20, 1941) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback and punt return specialist in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL), playing for the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos. He played college football for the Boston University Terriers and was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round of the 1964 AFL draft.

Over his seven years with the Buffalo Bills (1964 to 1970), Byrd was selected to play in five AFL All-Star Games, named first-team All-AFL three times, and named second-team All-AFL twice. Over fifty years after he left the Bills, Byrd still holds the team records for interceptions (40), return yardage on interceptions (666), and interceptions returned for touchdowns (5). During his first three seasons, the Bills went to the AFL Championship Game, winning in 1964 and 1965. Byrd intercepted passes in both of those games and scored a touchdown on a 74-yard punt return in the 1965 game. In an early 1966 game against the Miami Dolphins, he had a 60-yard interception return for a touchdown and a 74-yard punt return for a touchdown. In January 1970, the Pro Football Hall of Fame named Byrd to the second team of the American Football League All-Time Team, at cornerback. In 1984, he was named to the Bills Silver Anniversary All-Time Team. He was also voted to the Bills 50th Season All-Time Team.

Early life Byrd was born on September 20, 1941, in Watervliet, New York, outside of Albany. He attended La Salle Institute (LSI) in Troy, New York for high school. He played on LSI's football team. As a senior in 1959, the 6 ft (1.83 m) 170 lb (77.1 kg) Byrd led the team to an undefeated season. Byrd had eight touchdowns and played every minute of four different games during that season. He was team co-captain that year, and was unanimously named a scholastic all-star on both offense (fullback) and defense (defensive back) in a coaches' vote. This was the second consecutive year he was chosen a scholastic all-star at fullback. Byrd was reportedly 6 ft 195 lb (84.5 kg) at the time he graduated in June 1960. He also played baseball and basketball at LSI. While at LSI, Byrd had been scouted for BU by George Winkler. Byrd received scholarship offers from smaller schools, but he wanted to play for a larger university. As a sophomore in 1961, he was called the fastest man on the Terriers. He was 6 ft 205 lb (93 kg), and ran the 100-yard dash in 9.9 seconds. He played left halfback, and rushed for 187 yards on 52 carries for two touchdowns that season. He also had four receptions for 34 yards. He was voted BU's outstanding sophomore in two games that season, and outstanding back in one of those games. The following season, he had 91 yards in 24 carries, and led the team with 12 receptions for 193 yards and one receiving touchdown. Byrd averaged 27.9 yards per kickoff return as a senior. He was coached by future Hall of Fame Oakland Raiders' head coach Al Davis in the game. On an earlier occasion, Davis was in Boston with the Raiders to play the Boston Patriots. Davis was in the stands at a Terriers' practice during a passing drill where Byrd was playing defensive back. After witnessing Byrd knock down a pass Davis thought should have been intercepted, a screaming Davis stopped the practice and confronted Byrd saying "'Byrd, your job is not to knock the ball down. Your job is to catch the ball and turn it over to the offense. You haven't done your job unless you've done that'". This made a lasting impression on Byrd, and influenced Byrd's thinking as a professional cornerback to look for an opportunity to intercept the ball each time it was thrown in his direction. In December 1963, he signed a contract to play for the Bills, who anticipated using him as a defensive back. He started every regular season game (98 total) at right cornerback for the Bills from 1964 to 1970, and never missed a game during his time with the team; also playing in three AFL championship games.

Byrd immediately made an impact in the defensive backfield as a rookie, starting at right cornerback, with seven interceptions that season. He was tied for sixth most interceptions in the AFL that season. In a September 26 game against the San Diego Chargers, he returned an interception 75 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. Later that season, the Bills defeated the Chargers 20–7 for the AFL championship. Byrd had an interception in the championship game. He was named an AFL All-Star as a rookie, and the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) named him second-team All-AFL. The 1964 All-Star Game was to be played in New Orleans in early January 1965, but after a number of the AFL's Black all-stars were treated abusively in New Orleans (including threats at gunpoint) and all the Black players were refused service at some venues and on public transportation, the players voted not to play the game and to leave New Orleans. The AFL quickly moved the game to Houston.

In 1965, Byrd had five interceptions. He also returned 22 punts for 220 yards. His ten-yards per punt return average was tied for fourth best in the AFL that season, and he was tied for ninth in interceptions. He was selected to the AFL All-Star team for the second consecutive season. Byrd was selected first-team All-AFL by the AFL and the Associated Press (AP), and second-team All-AFL by the NEA and United Press International (UPI). The Bills again defeated the Chargers for the 1965 AFL championship, 23–0. Byrd returned a punt 74 yards for a touchdown in that game, and also intercepted a pass that he returned 24 yards.

In 1966, Byrd had six interceptions. He also returned 23 punts for 186 yards. In a September 18 game against the Miami Dolphins, he returned an interception 60 yards for a touchdown, and returned a punt 72 yards for a touchdown. His 8.1 yards per punt return was fourth best in the AFL, and he was tied for sixth in most interceptions. Byrd was named an AFL All-Star for the third consecutive season, and the AFL, Associated Press, NEA, and United Press International named Byrd first-team All-AFL. The Bills went to the AFL Championship Game for the third consecutive season, but lost 31–7 to the 1966 Kansas City Chiefs.

Byrd had five interceptions in 1967, tied for ninth best in the AFL; and returned 30 punts for 142 yards. In 1968, Byrd played for a Bills team that only won a single game. He had six interceptions, tied for fifth best in the AFL. On September 29, he intercepted a Joe Namath pass and returned it 53 yards for a touchdown. Byrd was named to the AFL All-Star team for the fourth time, and the AP and NEA selected him second-team All-AFL.

In 1969, he had seven interceptions, tied for fourth best in the AFL; for a team that won only four games. In a September 28 game against the Denver Broncos, he returned an interception 12 yards for a touchdown. The following week he had three interceptions in a game against the Houston Oilers. Byrd was named an AFL All-Star for the fifth time, and was selected first-team All-AFL by the AP for the third time. He was also selected first-team All-AFL by the NEA, UPI and Pro Football Weekly.

In 1970, Byrd had four interceptions for the Bills. It was the first season in his Bills' career without a punt return.

Denver Broncos The Bills traded Byrd to the Denver Broncos before the start of the 1971 season, for a 1972 fifth round draft pick, who became Bob Penchion. The Broncos released Byrd before the start of the 1972 season. Byrd believed the Broncos' new head coach John Ralston cut him from the team based upon a mistaken belief that Byrd had challenged Ralston's authority among the team's Black players. He returned five interceptions for touchdowns during his seven-year Bills' career, tied for 33rd on the all-time list of career interception touchdown returns (through 2025). He was tied for fourth on the list at the time his career ended in 1971.

Legacy Byrd was known for using the bump and run technique as a cornerback. stated his preference to go up against Byrd when it came to pass plays despite the Chargers' Hall of Fame coach Sid Gillman trying to dissuade him, with Alworth stating: "I want to play against the best". Alworth had to alter his playing strategy to address Byrd's ability to use the bump and run and keep pace with Alworth. In 1966, Sports Illustrated described Byrd as "'a gifted punt-return man and one of the meanest tacklers around'".

Honors In January 1970, the Pro Football Hall of Fame named Byrd to the second team of the American Football League All-Time Team. Byrd was inducted into the Boston University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1980. and voted by Bills' fans onto the Bills 50th Season All-Time Team in 2009. In 2008, he was selected to the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame. Byrd was awarded the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Distinguished Service Award in 1994.

Byrd was inducted into the LaSalle Institute Athletic Hall of Fame and the Albany Capital District Hall of Fame the inaugural class of the Capital Region Football Hall of Fame in 2010, In discussing Byrd's merits to be included on the Bills Wall of Fame, Lance Alworth said Byrd "'should be on the all-world team. I don’t know why he isn’t on that wall, but I’ll take him'". Byrd worked in Chrysler's management for nine to ten years in Detroit; and then at Polaroid in Cambridge, Massachusetts for another ten years. He retired after working for Polaroid. He lived in Westborough, Massachusetts while working for Polaroid, and continued to make his home there after retirement.