-- his old team -- and talked about the tattered jersey he held his hands. It was the jersey he wore on that fateful day in 1992, when he crashed into teammate Scott Mersereau with such force that his upper spinal column exploded, leaving him paralyzed on the field.
The jersey was removed from his body with scissors, and he saved it all those years because it inspired him during dark times. Now, on a cold New England night, Byrd was telling his story on the eve of the Jets' playoff game against the New England Patriots.