Butch Byrd

Interceptions:	40
Interception yards:	666
Fumble recoveries:	4
Total touchdowns:	6
	Stats at Pro Football Reference

Butch Byrd
No. 42, 24
Position:	Cornerback
Personal information
Born:	September 20, 1941 (age 83); Watervliet, New York, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:	211 lb (96 kg)
Career information
High school:	La Salle ; (Troy, New York)
College:	Boston University
AFL draft:	1964 / round: 4 / pick: 25
Career history
	Buffalo Bills (1964–1970); Denver Broncos (1971);
Career highlights and awards
	2× AFL champion (1964, 1965); 3× First-team All-AFL (1965, 1966, 1969); 2× Second-team All-AFL (1964, 1968); 5× AFL All-Star (1964–1966, 1968, 1969); AFL All-Time Second-team; Buffalo Bills 50th Anniversary Team;
Career NFL statistics
Interceptions:
Interceptions:	40
Interception yards:	666
Fumble recoveries:	4
Total touchdowns:	6
	Stats at Pro Football Reference

George Edward "Butch" Byrd (born September 20, 1941) is an American former professional football cornerback who played in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). 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.

Professional career

Byrd was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round, with the 25th overall pick, of the 1964 American Football League draft and immediately made an impact in the defensive backfield, with seven interceptions. Such was his impact as a quick athlete that Lance Alworth (star flanker of the San Diego Chargers) stated his preference to go up against Byrd when it came to pass plays despite the Chargers trying to dissuade him, with Alworth stating: "I want to play against the best". Byrd sometimes also played as a punt returner, scoring a punt return touchdown in 1966. He was a five-time AFL All-Star and he was selected for the AFL All-Time Second-team. When he retired in 1971, he was one of thirty players with 40 interceptions (which resulted in him being tied for 15th); in the half-century since he retired, over thirty more players have joined him.^[1]

Franchise records

Byrd holds the Bills career records for interceptions with 40, interception return yards with 666 and interceptions returned for touchdowns with 5.

After football

After his career ended, he worked in management for the Chrysler Corporation and Polaroid, working 22 years with the latter company.^{[citation needed]}

Honors

Byrd was inducted into the Boston University Hall of Fame, the LaSalle Institute Athletic Hall of Fame and the Albany Capital District Hall of Fame, all in 1980. He also was named to the All-Time Buffalo Bills Silver Anniversary Team in 1984, and in 2008 was selected to the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame. He was awarded the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Distinguished Service Award in 1994.^[2]^[3] Despite his records, he has not been named a member of the Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame nor the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which has received notice from columnists in the Buffalo media.^[4]^[5]^[6]

References

^ "NFL Career Interceptions Leaders Through 1971". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
^ "Byrd Bags Service Award Wilson Honor Will Go to Former Cornerback". October 20, 1994.
^ "George "Butch" Byrd – Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame". July 25, 2012. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
^ "Sean Kirst: From Watervliet, a passionate bid to lift Butch Byrd onto Bills Wall of Fame". October 2022.
^ "Butch Byrd deserves to be on Bills Wall of Fame". July 2022.
^ "Why it's time for Bills to add interceptions leader Butch Byrd to their Wall of Fame".

External links

This biographical article relating to an American football defensive back born in the 1940s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] "NFL Career Interceptions Leaders Through 1971". Pro-Football-Reference.com.

[2] "Byrd Bags Service Award Wilson Honor Will Go to Former Cornerback". October 20, 1994.

[3] "George "Butch" Byrd – Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame". July 25, 2012. Retrieved March 2, 2021.

[4] "Sean Kirst: From Watervliet, a passionate bid to lift Butch Byrd onto Bills Wall of Fame". October 2022.

[5] "Butch Byrd deserves to be on Bills Wall of Fame". July 2022.

[6] "Why it's time for Bills to add interceptions leader Butch Byrd to their Wall of Fame".

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v t e Buffalo Bills 1964 AFL champions
3 Pete Gogolak 12 Daryle Lamonica 15 Jack Kemp 20 Bobby Smith 22 Charley Warner 23 Gene Sykes 24 Booker Edgerson 25 Ollie Dobbins 26 George Saimes 30 Wray Carlton 34 Cookie Gilchrist 40 Ed Rutkowski 42 Butch Byrd 43 Joe Auer 44 Elbert Dubenion 45 Hagood Clarke 46 Ray Abruzzese 47 Willie Ross 50 Al Bemiller 51 John Tracey 53 Walt Cudzik 55 Paul Maguire 58 Mike Stratton 60 Dave Behrman 64 Harry Jacobs 66 Billy Shaw 67 Joe O'Donnell 70 Tom Sestak 72 Ron McDole 73 George Flint 74 Tom Keating 75 Dudley Meredith 77 Stew Barber 78 Jim Dunaway 79 Dick Hudson 81 Bill Groman 83 Hatch Rosdahl 84 Ernie Warlick 85 Glenn Bass 88 Tom Day
Head Coach: Lou Saban
Assistant Coaches: Joe Collier John Mazur Jerry Smith

v t e Buffalo Bills 1965 AFL champions
3 Pete Gogolak 12 Daryle Lamonica 15 Jack Kemp 20 Bobby Smith 22 Charley Warner 23 Gene Sykes 24 Booker Edgerson 26 George Saimes 27 Tom Janik 30 Wray Carlton 32 Donnie Stone 33 Billy Joe 40 Ed Rutkowski 42 Butch Byrd 43 Joe Auer 44 Elbert Dubenion 45 Hagood Clarke 46 Bo Roberson 48 Pete Mills 49 Floyd Hudlow 50 Al Bemiller 51 John Tracey 52 Bill Laskey 55 Paul Maguire 56 Marty Schottenheimer 58 Mike Stratton 60 Dave Behrman 64 Harry Jacobs 66 Billy Shaw 67 Joe O'Donnell 70 Tom Sestak 72 Ron McDole 73 George Flint 74 Tom Keating 75 Dudley Meredith 76 Henry Schmidt 77 Stew Barber 78 Jim Dunaway 79 Dick Hudson 80 Charley Ferguson 81 Bill Groman 82 Paul Costa 84 Ernie Warlick 85 Glenn Bass 88 Tom Day
Head Coach: Lou Saban
Assistant Coaches: Joe Collier John Mazur Jerry Smith