Henry_Byrd_(American_football)
Henry Byrd (American football)
American football player (born 1999)
Henry Byrd (born July 1, 1999) is an American football guard for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Princeton Tigers, earning all-Ivy honors in 2019, 2021, and 2022.
| No. 68 – Minnesota Vikings | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Guard |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | (1999-07-01) July 1, 1999 (age 24) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Weight: | 310 lb (141 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | The Ensworth School (Nashville, Tennessee) |
| College: | Princeton (2018–2022) |
| Undrafted: | 2023 |
| Career history | |
| |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Roster status: | Active |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Player stats at PFR | |
Byrd grew up in Nashville, Tennessee and attended The Ensworth School. He was a three-sport athlete competing in lacrosse, football and basketball.[1] In basketball, he played together with James Wiseman.[2] He also was a tap dancer and competed in Dance for Athletes 1 and Dance for Athletes 2.[1][2]
Byrd played college football from 2018 to 2022 for the Princeton Tigers, earning All-Ivy League First Team honors in 2021 and 2022 and a Second-Team All-Ivy in 2019.[3] In 2018, he received the Donold B. Lourie Award as the top offensive freshman.[4]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 4.7 in (1.95 m) |
310 lb (141 kg) |
33+5⁄8 in (0.85 m) |
9+1⁄2 in (0.24 m) | 5.21 s | 1.79 s | 2.90 s | 4.67 s | 7.80 s | 33 in (0.84 m) | 9 ft 7 in (2.92 m) | 32 reps | |
| All values from Pro Day[5] | ||||||||||||
After going undrafted in the 2023 NFL draft, Byrd signed as an undrafted free agent with the Denver Broncos.[6] He was released on August 29, 2023.[7] Two days later he was signed by the Minnesota Vikings to the practice squad, where he stayed until he was cut on November 4, 2023.[8] He was signed to the practice squad by the San Francisco 49ers on November 7, 2023.[9][10] He was released November 28, 2023.
On December 23, he was signed back to the Minnesota Vikings practice squad where he stayed for the remainder of the 2023 NFL season.[8] On January 8, he signed together with nine other players a future contract with the Vikings.[11]
His father William Byrd played college football for Vanderbilt and was a later a tour manager for Bruce Springsteen.
- "Offensive Lineman Henry Byrd '23 Sets Sights on the NFL". Princeton Alumni Weekly. October 28, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
- Tomasson, Chris (May 2, 2023). "From tap dancing to playing the banjo to starring at Princeton, versatile Henry Byrd ready to join Broncos". Denver Gazette. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
- "Ivy League Announces Football All-Ivy, Rookie of the Year & Coach of the Year". ivyleague.com. November 22, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
- "Donold B. Lourie Award | Tigers Football". Retrieved May 2, 2024.
- "2023 NFL Draft Scout Henry Byrd College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
- "Broncos undrafted rookie spotlight: OL Henry Byrd". Predominantly Orange. June 11, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
- Lynch, Tim (August 29, 2023). "Broncos have waived guard Henry Byrd". Mile High Report. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
- "Vikings sign offensive lineman to practice squad". Vikings Wire. December 13, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
- "49ers Sign OL Byrd to the Practice Squad". www.49ers.com. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
- Bonilla, David (November 6, 2023). "49ers signing offensive lineman to practice squad, per report". 49ers Webzone. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
- "Vikings Sign 10 Players to Future Contracts". www.vikings.com. Retrieved May 2, 2024.