Byrd, who played at the University of Tulsa before playing four seasons for the Jets beginning in 1989, was driving a 2004 Hummer H2 when a vehicle driven by a 17-year-old veered into the oncoming lane, striking Byrd’s vehicle. Byrd was pronounced dead at the scene.
The 17-year-old driver and a 12-year-old passenger in Byrd’s vehicle were transported in critical condition.
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Byrd was paralyzed from the waist down after a collision during a game with the Chiefs in 1992. He was eventually able to walk again, leading him to share his life story through a book, “Rise and Walk: The Trial and Triumph of Dennis Byrd.” He was also the subject of a made-for-television film, “Rise and Walk: The Dennis Byrd Story.”
The Jets retired Byrd’s No. 90 jersey in 2012.
