Byrd's number should stay "unofficial" and really should not be retired. I will never forget that play against KC and the inspiration he provided by walking out to midfield later on but the truth is he played less than 4 seasons with the Jets and was a mediocre player. He played for the Jets at a time when they were pretty awful. He had one season with double digit sacks by getting 5 in the last two meaning less games of the season in his 2nd year and then went down. At the time he was playing, even though I was a Jets fan, I was never a big fan of his. He had a tendency to play with his head down and lunge, which ultimately contributed to how he got injured. His story of perseverance and recovery is a great one but a team should reserve retiring numbers for truly elite players to the team. If it were a ring of honor deal where you honored guys like Freeman Mcneil, Joe Fields, Mo Lewis than you could include Byrd. This is probably not going to be a popular post, but I know many on this board are not old enough to have ever really seen him play or were very young.
Dont know you're reason or what motivates you to make a post like this but I respect your opinion. I was at the game when Dennis Byrd was hurt. I was actually behind the NYJETS bench LL in the area this happened. I remember it like it was yesterday. What is so amazing is the courage and the will and fight Dennis Byrd endured to eventually walk back on the field. Its only a football number a jersey theres plenty more give the man the respect and honor he deserves and earned. I still look back and wonder what kind of player he would have been if not for this injury.
There is no other motivation other than - he was not a great player, or a great Jet - He suffered a terrible injury playing for the team that is all, he should be remembered and honored but I do not believe in the way of his jersey retired.
Ok so what then is the positive to not honoring his number? What are they giving up by retiring the number? Nothing. There has not been a #90 since 1992. The number has been retired for the past 20 years, only now they are making it official. It has not affected you, the Jets or any other player for 20 years.... With your reasoning the Buccaneers should not have done what they did for Eric Legrand, while from a heartless standpoint that may be true, but what is the real harm here? There is none. There is only the positive that is honoring a player who performance wise may or may not have been great, I guess we never had the chance to find out for sure, but he put it on the line and left it all on the field and has inspired many players and people alike, still does to this day 20 years later. Thats worht "officially" retiring his number, something that actually happend 20 years ago immediately after he had the injury. You think these guys said "Why are we carrying out this guys jersey? Who is he, he was not great by any means." [youtube]qJC8zyXhk_I[/youtube] No they used it as fuel.
Great move by the Jets to retire #28 and #90. Just bought my tickets for the Bills game. The first Jets jersey i ever bought was dennis byrd's #90. Can't Wait.
im glad they will do that, curtis was the cornerstone of the jets for the time he was here, he was one of the players the jets seem to have a chance to win each and every years he play here, good for him and the fans. Go jets
