Keith Byars, a former first-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles who spent thirteen seasons in the NFL and remains among the all-time leaders in running back receptions, joins Says Who Sports to break it all down like few can, from his “should-have-been” Heisman Trophy season as a junior at Ohio State in 1984 (he finished 2nd to Doug Flutie) to how he dealt with the devastating injury that dashed the big expectations for him the following season at Ohio State to all things NFL, including what he learned from legendary coaches he played for, including Buddy Ryan, Don Shula and Bill Parcells, and great players he played with, from Reggie White to Dan Marino.
Byars shares stories galore from his days at Ohio State, including his influence on former Buckeye head coach Jim Tressel, who coached running backs at Ohio State while Byars was there, in spurring Tressel to become a student of the running game. Byars recalls his excitement at receiving a “spicy” phone call from Woody Hayes as a high school recruit, and his appreciation for the many candid conversations he enjoyed with mentor Hayes while Byars was at Ohio State.
Byars shares stories of powerful moments on the field and in the locker room with the fiery Ryan and Parcells, including Parcells’s relentless coaching approach to hold every player on the roster accountable, not just the stars or starters.
Byars recalls Parcells’s reliance on him as a team leader responsible for helping younger players understand what it took to succeed in the NFL, ultimately helping to lead the Parcells-coached Patriots to Byars’s only Super Bowl appearance.
Byars also shares his perspectives on expectations for Ohio State football this season, indicating that championships are the standard at the school and stressing the importance of restoring the program’s winning ways versus rival Michigan (Byars shares a story of being trolled by Jim Harbaugh at a golf tournament in 2021 after Michigan beat Ohio State that year) and again capturing the B1G Championship after a three-year dry spell.