New York Jets: Best player to wear No. 90 in franchise history
Who was the best player in New York Jets history to wear the No. 90?
When talking about the history of the New York Jets, you go through a roller coaster of ups and downs. Any Jets fan will tell you that sticking with the team for a long time isn’t easy. Since winning Super Bowl III, there have been many valleys and a few peaks. They have gotten close to returning to the big game (1982, 1998, 2009, 2010), but haven’t quite gotten there. In and around all of those seasons has been a whole lot of losing, and a whole lot of spending time as the NFL laughingstock.
Through the years, however, what you have been able to find is talent, no matter what era you are looking in. The New York Titans boasted talents like Don Maynard and Art Powell. Even the 1-15 Jets in 1996 had Keyshawn Johnson and Wayne Chrebet on their roster. And a lot of losing seasons were had with the great Wesley Walker running deep routes on the outside.
Today, we continue our look back at who has been the very best in franchise history. We have been counting backwards, by jersey number, the best Jet to wear each number. Today we are up to No. 90. At No. 90, we select a player that was the epitome of the phrase “Play like a Jet”. He was a fierce player on the field until an accident ended his career far too early. His fight brought him back to his feet. In case anyone hasn’t figured it out yet, his name is Dennis Byrd.
Byrd was selected by the Jets in the second round of the 1989 NFL draft. The Jets had just gone through the abrupt retirement of Mark Gastineau the previous year, and they needed to rebuild the pass rush. Byrd was the choice and made his impact as a rookie.
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His first career sack came in October 1989 during a game against the Raiders. As a situational player that rookie season, Byrd managed seven sacks, more than reasonable for a rookie. His brightest day came in Week 13 against the Chargers. That day, Byrd posted 2.5 sacks to help lift the Jets to a 20-17 victory out west.
1990 was a watershed year for Byrd, as he finished sixth in the league in sacks with 13. Byrd went on an incredible stretch to finish out the year, posting 5.5 sacks over his final three games, including wins over the Patriots and the Buccaneers. As the 90s opened, Byrd was rapidly becoming a force to be reckoned with on the defensive line.
In 1991, the league had begun to learn about Dennis Byrd, but he was still able to manage seven sacks. On the final day of the season, Byrd put up 2.5 sacks in a 23-20 win over Miami and a playoff berth.
1992 brought the moment that we all want to forget. The date was Nov. 29, and the Jets were facing the Chiefs and the Meadowlands. Dave Krieg dropped back to pass. Byrd came after him from one side, Scott Mersereau from the other. Krieg stepped up on the pocket and the two collided. Mersereau walked away, Byrd did not. His career was over, and it was up in the air whether or not he would ever walk again.
Never one to give up, Dennis Byrd did walk again. The Jets brought his jersey to mid-field for the coin toss when they took on the Patriots in that memorable 2010 Divisional playoff game. That was the game that the Jets won, upsetting the Patriots, and leading to the famous “Can’t wait!” interview with Bart Scott.
Next: Grading the Jets 2017 draft class
His number was retired, and with good reason. It’s hard to make the case for anyone ever to deserve it again. He is no longer with us, gone thanks to a car crash in 2016, but we remember him fondly.