Junior cornerback Jairus Byrd did not retract his name during the weekend’s 72-hour deadline for underclassmen declaring for the NFL draft, becoming the second Duck in as many years to declare early.
A three-year starter at cornerback whose 17 interceptions is one off the school record, Byrd heard from the NFL draft advisory board that he will likely be a first day, third-round pick.
“I think it came down to pretty much, I am what I am,” Byrd said. “I don’t see too much of a jump in terms of my skill set, so to speak, next year from this year. I think I maxed my potential … I just think now is the time.”
Byrd is the seventh Oregon player to declare early for the draft. Jonathan Stewart was drafted by the Carolina
Panthers with the 13th overall pick last year after coming out early as a junior.
Teammate Patrick Chung, who used the weekend window to come back to Oregon last year after declaring early, was one of the teammates and coaches Byrd talked with about the decision.
“(The coaches) tried to convince me otherwise,” Byrd said. “They just tried to lay out the real case of what everything is, the way real life is, the NFL life.”
The NFL life is something the Byrd family is used to after his father, Gil, has coached in the league since 2003 and played as a defensive back from 1983-93. He is still the San Diego Chargers’ all-time leader in interceptions with 42. His father’s career wasn’t lost on Jairus when he decided to stay in the draft.
“My ultimate goal is to be better than my dad, and he knows that I’m a competitive person,” Byrd said. “I’ve studied his career, and he’s had a great career, and I look up to him.”
Byrd was named the defensive MVP of last month’s Holiday Bowl win, and was named to the Pacific-10 Conference first-team this year, when he had 83 tackles and his five interceptions, tied for the most on the team with teammate Walter Thurmond III.
Thurmond, who thought about coming out early, was one of the first to know about Byrd’s decision.
“He was one of the first guys on the team to know and he was all for it,” Byrd said.
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Jairus Byrd keeps name in NFL draft
Daily Emerald
January 19, 2009
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