Keith Byars

Bio

Keith Byars was one of Ohio State’s go-to offensive weapons with the Buckeyes. In 1984, he received Unanimous First-Team All-America honors after having one of the best individual seasons in college football history. In 1984, Byars was the Heisman Trophy runner-up, and led the nation in rushing yards (1,764), all-purpose yards (2,441) and scoring (144). His standout game occurred in a comeback victory against Illinois where he rushed for 274 yards and scored five touchdowns, which is tied for an Ohio State single-game record. On his fourth score, he famously lost his left shoe at the Illini 40 but never broke stride. His 354 all-purpose yards versus Purdue in 1984 remains a single-game school record. Despite missing most of his senior campaign with an injury, he remains second in Ohio State history with 50 total touchdowns and ranks in the top 10 in career all-purpose yards (4,369) and career rushing yards (3,200). He was selected 10th overall by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1986 NFL Draft. He played 13 seasons in the NFL with the Eagles, Dolphins, Patriots, and Jets.

Career Highlights

• 1984 All-Conference
• 1984 Conference MVP
• 1984 Heisman -second
• 1984 Led nation in Rushing
• 1984 Led nation in scoring
• 1984 Unanimous All-America
• 1983 All-Conference
• 1983 Second-team All-America