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Demetrius Byrd's fight: 10 years after the catch vs. Auburn

6 years 5 months 5 days ago Thursday, October 12 2017 Oct 12, 2017 October 12, 2017 10:59 PM October 12, 2017 in Sports
By: WBRZ Sports

Baton Rouge, LA - "I was high and mighty, thinking I was going to be the best thing smoking, going to the league, about to make this money and do that and do this."

Demetrius Byrd made his mark at LSU with one catch, helping the Tigers raise the trophy and becoming an elite receiver with NFL dreams.

But one week before the 2009 NFL Draft, Byrd was hospitalized after a serious car accident. A night that changed his life forever.

"I told myself I was going back to the league, I have to play football and when I saw that door start to close, I went into a deep depression. If I wasn't so scared to use a gun to shoot myself, I don't know what would've happened. I was thinking about jumping off a bridge. I was really depressed because I wanted to play football. I think it took me a good six years to really get over it. It changed my life in a good way and it made me more humble now and thankful for the things that I do do."

Now Byrd, 8 years later has made his way back to Baton Rouge and also back onto the field. Just across the river from Tiger Stadium.

The former LSU wideout is now the wide receivers coach at Port Allen High School with a mission of giving back to the community that gave so much to him.

"I always have been that guy who had always wanted to be a role model and be a positive role model to young men. So they can look to him and say he's been through what I want to go through. So let me know something because he probably know's something no one else knows."

And Byrd knows he's doing what's right, starting as an assistant while working full-time at a used car lot with the determination to get back on top.

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