Lincoln University Athletics

A two-time All-American halfback and quarterback for the Lions, Byrd was one of the premier open field runners of his time and drew comparisons to Red Grange for his abilities on the gridiron.  In his first varsity game in 1922, Byrd broke open for an 80-yard run against a strong Howard University defense the first time he carried the ball.  Byrd was a member of the 1924 Lincoln football team that won the programs only CIAA championship with a record of 8-0-1 while outscoring their opponents 306-3.  Over the course of the 1924 season Byrd scored at least one rushing touchdown, one receiving touchdown and touchdowns from both a punt return and a kick return.  Some of Byrd’s biggest moments came against Lincoln’s biggest rival, Howard University, where he scored at least one touchdown in each of the three Thanksgiving classics against the Bison and produced several runs of 40 or more yards.

Byrd earned ten varsity letters in three sports, football, basketball and track and field.  He was an all-American guard on the basketball team and held the 100-yard dash record in the old Colored Inter-Collegiate Athletic Association 
 
Following the conclusion of his career at Lincoln, Byrd spent three seasons as the football and baseball coach at Florida A and M University where his football teams won championships and his baseball teams won championships and sent several star players to the now defunct Negro National Baseball League.
 
Byrd worked in the Office of Price Administration in New York during World War II where he served as chief of distribution of all ration stamps for the Eastern Seaboard After the Harlem race riots in 1943 he was made chief clerk of the largest wartime Ration Board and was cited by New York City for outstanding effort in quelling the riot and awarded an honorary New York City police badge.

Byrd took and passed civil service tests for the Internal Revenue Service and became the first of his race to be an office auditor. He was also the first of his race to be employed by the state of Delaware as state income tax auditor and reviewer, a position he held until his retirement.  He was a member of the Lincoln University Alumni Association and loved politics.  Byrd passed away in December 1994.