Tyrone Byrd Season 1991

Honors & Awards
Nebraska Football Hall of Fame Inductee (2024)
First-Team All-Big Eight (AP, 1992)
Second-Team All-Big Eight (Coaches, 1992)
Honorable-Mention All-Big Eight (Coaches, 1991)
Big Eight Defensive Freshman of the Year (Coaches, 1989)

1992 (Senior)
A four-year starter and Nebraska Football Hall of Famer (2024), free safety Tyrone Byrd earned first-team All-Big Eight honors from the Associated Press in 1992. Byrd played 39 consecutive games with 32 straight starts before a hamstring injury kept him on the sideline for Nebraska’s game against Arizona State in 1992. He missed another start against Oklahoma State, but returned to limited action against the Cowboys. He returned to full speed with a start in the next game against Missouri and started the rest of the season. He finished his senior year with 51 tackles (25 solos), two interceptions and a pass breakup. Byrd picked off his first pass of the year in the opener against Utah, before adding his second interception against Kansas, which he returned for a 30-yard touchdown. He notched season highs of nine tackles against No. 2 Washington and Iowa State. Byrd helped the Huskers claim the Big Eight title and a trip to the 1993 Federal Express Orange Bowl against Florida State. He started against the Seminoles, finishing with seven tackles and an interception.

A four-year letterman, Byrd played 43 career regular-season games and finished with a then-position record 209 career tackles. He had six TFLs for 28 yards, including one sack. He also hauled in 11 career interceptions, broke up12 passes and caused eight fumbles.

1991 (Junior)
Nebraska’s third-leading tackler, Byrd finished with 71 stops including two for loss. He shared the team lead by forcing three fumbles and ranked second on the squad with seven pass breakups. He registered a career-high 11 tackles at Arizona State (Sept. 28), when he returned to his home state. He also caused two Sun Devil fumbles in Nebraska’s 18-9 win. Byrd added eight tackles against Kansas State and Colorado, while contributing seven stops against Iowa State. In Nebraska’s appearance in the 1992 Federal Express Orange Bowl, Byrd posted a team-high 12 tackles against Miami. He hauled in his only interception of the season against Oklahoma State. He added three PBUs against the Cowboys. Byrd helped the Big Red to the Big Eight title.

1990 (Sophomore)
Byrd started every game at free safety, leading the team and ranking third in the Big Eight with five interceptions, which came against Baylor, Northern Illinois, Kansas State, Missouri and Iowa State. He also shared the team lead with four fumbles caused, matching outside linebacker Mike Croel. Byrd closed the year with 41 tackles, including a season-high nine stops against Colorado. He added seven big tackles against Oklahoma. He added three stops as a starter in the 1991 Florida Citrus Bowl against Georgia Tech. 

1989 (Redshirt Freshman)
A redshirt freshman, Byrd played extensively as an alternate behind Marvin Sanders at free safety in the first seven games before taking over as a starter late in the season after Sanders suffered a shoulder separation. Byrd posted season highs of eight tackles against Colorado and Iowa State. He also had two tackles for three yards lost, caused a fumble and intercepted a pass against the Buffaloes. His interception against CU set up a 51-yard touchdown pass from Gerry Gdowski to Bryan Carpenter on the next play. Byrd also forced a fumble in the opening minute against Oklahoma, which Nebraska recovered to set up a 34-yard touchdown drive. He added an interception and a Husker season-long 31-yard return in the closing minute against the Sooners. He was voted the Big Eight Defensive Freshman of the Year by the conference coaches. He helped the Huskers earn a trip to the 1990 Sunkist Fiesta Bowl, where he recorded five tackles (all solos) and a pass breakup as a starter against Florida State.

1988 (Freshman)
Byrd redshirt in his first season at Nebraska.

Chandler High School
An all-state and two-time all-conference selection for Coach Delvin Schutes at Chandler High School in Arizona, Byrd was also the regional defensive player of the year as a senior in 1987. He grabbed eight of his 18 career interceptions as a senior. Byrd also returned 14 kickoffs for 268 yards. Chandler’s starting quarterback as well, he rushed 105 times for 355 yards and four TDs. He also completed 59-of-102 passes for 834 yards and eight touchdowns. He lettered in basketball and track. Byrd visited Arizona, Arizona State and Colorado State before signing with Nebraska.

Personal
The son of Sabrina Byrd, Tyrone was born in Phoenix. He has one older sister. He was a sociology major at Nebraska. He suffered significant injuries from a car accident prior to the 1993 NFL Draft, ending his football career.