#53 - Offensive Guard-Center
HEIGHT: 6-4 / WEIGHT: 285 LBS
Junior/Senior
Fort Collins, CO (Loveland HS)
2007: Byers, a one-time starter who has missed most of the past 2 seasons with injuries, enters his 2007 junior season as the starting left offensive guard. He is also available to play center.
2006: After missing the 2005 season with a hip injury, Byers appeared ready to re-assume his starting job at left offensive guard as a sophomore in 2006. After seeing action as a backup in the opener at Arkansas, he suffered a back sprain prior to the Nebraska game and was sidelined the rest of the season. Because of the early-season injury, he was allowed to redshirt. He missed some of 2006 spring drills while recuperating.
2005: Byers was set to see plenty of action on the offensive line as a sophomore in 2005 as a left guard, either as a starter or key backup. But he had arthroscopic surgery to remove torn cartilage in his right hip prior to 2005 spring practice and missed most of spring drills while recuperating, which forced him to redshirt in 2005.
2004: As a first-year freshman in 2004, Byers started 4 late-season games (Oregon State, Arizona, Notre Dame and UCLA) at left offensive guard for an injured John Drake and performed well. He served as a backup there and at center in USC’s other 9 contests. He made the
2004 The Sporting News Freshman All-American second team and The Sporting News Freshman All-Pac-10 first team. HIGH SCHOOL: Among his 2003 honors were
Gatorade National Player of the Year, EA Sports National Player of the Year, Army of One Award (for effort on the field, class and community), Arena Football League Ironman of the Year (as nation’s best two-way player), USA Today All-USA first team, Parade All-American MVP, Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, EA Sports All-American, Insiders.com All-American, Super Prep Elite 50, Prep Star Top 100 Dream Team, Tom Lemming Top 100, Super Prep All-Midlands, Prep-Star All-Midlands, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first team, Orange County Register Fab 15 first team and Gatorade Colorado Player of the Year as a senior center and linebacker at Loveland (Colo.) High. He had 34 pancake blocks on offense in one game in 2003 and never allowed a sack in his career. On defense in 2003, he had 203 tackles, 56 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, 14 forced fumbles and 3 fumble recoveries (with a TD). Loveland won its second consecutive Class 4A state championship in 2003.
As a junior in 2002, he won
All-State honorable mention, All-Area and All-Conference honors while posting 138 tackles, 29 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks on defense.
He also competed in basketball and track at Loveland.
PERSONAL: He’s a business administration major at USC with a B average (3.17 GPA).
