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<H1 ALIGN=CENTER>Dustin Byrd</H1>
<H2 ALIGN=CENTER>Wide Receiver</H2>

<CENTER><FONT SIZE=3>by Ryan Powell</FONT></CENTER>

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<IMG ALT="Dustin Byrd" BORDER=1 SRC="pic/byrd01_bw.jpg" WIDTH=181 HEIGHT=227 BORDER=1>
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<P><FONT SIZE=7>j</FONT>ust like most five-year-old boys growing up in an Auburn family and coming to all the games, Dustin Byrd dreamed that he would one day put on the navy blue jersey and strap on the white helmet with the Auburn logo and walk through the tunnel into Jordan-Hare Stadium.

<P>In the fall of 1995 that dream came true for Byrd as he dressed out for the Ole Miss game as Auburn went on to a 46-13 victory.

<P>"That was definitely a dream come true, walking through the tunnel into the stadium and hearing all the fans going crazy," Byrd said. "I felt like I had accomplished something, it made me proud."

<P>Byrd's journey to Auburn began in Enterprise, a small town in south Alabama.
Since Byrd was five years old he can remember coming to all the games with parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles.

<P>"I knew then that I wanted to be an Auburn Tiger," Byrd said.
Byrd's football skills developed into those of a college football player under the tutelage of longtime Enterprise High School coach Bill Bacon.

<P>"He helped me mature as a player and taught me what it would take to play football here at Auburn," said Byrd.

<P>Byrd earned all-district honors as a quarterback and was named captain of his high school team his senior year. Byrd scored a combined 10 touchdowns rushing and passing and threw for more than 1,000 yards and ran for more than 300 yards his senior year.

<P>Upon graduation from high school in 1994, Byrd put his dreams of playing football for Auburn on hold.

<P>The one thing that stood in the way of Byrd living his dream out as an Auburn Tiger were his baseball skills. At Enterprise, Byrd was also a standout shortstop and received a scholarship to Wallace State Community College in Dothan, Ala.

<P>Byrd packed his bags for Wallace State in the fall of 1994, but as it turned out that was the only fall he would be there. His heart was not in baseball, so he transferred to Auburn in the fall of 1995 to pursue his dream of being an Auburn Tiger.

<P>The 5-foot-9 wide receiver turned down scholarship offers from small schools like Troy State University to play football, telling them from the beginning that his plans were to walk-on at Auburn.

<P>Byrd, who now wears #11, will be the first to tell you that the life of a walk-on is not glamorous.

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<IMG ALT="Dustin Byrd" BORDER=1 SRC="pic/byrd02_bw.jpg" WIDTH=144 HEIGHT=254 BORDER=1>
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<P>"You work twice as hard as anyone else, just to prove that you belong," Byrd said. "It's been tough, but the support from my family and my drive to not fail has kept me going."

<P>That hard work and drive to not fail landed Byrd a scholarship for his senior season on the Plains.

<P>"That was a great feeling, it made me feel like I had accomplished what I set out to do from the beginning," Byrd said.

<P>Byrd's parents have always been there for him through the good times and the bad times.

<P>"My parents taught me what type of person to be and how to persevere through the tough times on the practice field," he said.
Even when things do get tough, it doesn't take much to cheer him up because he knows he has his family by his side.

<P>"My little sister, Natalie, is my biggest fan," Byrd said. "She always sends me a card before the games to encourage me."

<P>Byrd, an exercise science major, looked back at his four years as an Auburn Tiger and said, "I've learned what it takes to be disciplined, what it takes to make it. I have made a lot of lifelong friends on this team, guys that I will be able to count on down the road. That is one thing I will cherish the most."

<P><TABLE WIDTH=80% BORDER BGCOLOR="#000099" ALIGN=CENTER>
<TR>
<TD>
<FONT SIZE=4 COLOR="#FFFF00"><B>A Closer Look At Dustin Byrd:</FONT></B>

<FONT COLOR="#FFFFFF">

<P>What was your favorite cartoon growing up as a child? "Flintstones."

<P>What is your favorite TV sitcom? "Seinfeld."

<P>What is the craziest thing you have ever done? "Get in the car with Alex McRee (Auburn's backup long snapper) and go cruising."

<P>What is your ultimate Sportscenter highlight that you would be in? "Catching the game winning touchdown against Alabama."

<P>What is your favorite meal that your mother cooks? "Lasagna."

<P>What is your favorite meal that you cook? "I don't cook, I strictly eat out."

<P>If you were stranded on a deserted island who would you want to be with you? "My mom, dad, sister, Aunt Paige and my grandparents."

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<P ALIGN=CENTER><A HREF="./" target="_top">TABLE OF CONTENTS</A> | <A HREF="../" target="_top">PROGRAM INDEX</A> | <A HREF="../../index.html" target="_top">HOME</A></P>

<P ALIGN=CENTER><I>&copy; 1999 Auburn Network, Inc.</I></P>


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	<H1 ALIGN=CENTER>Dustin Byrd</H1>
	<H2 ALIGN=CENTER>Wide Receiver</H2>

	<CENTER><FONT SIZE=3>by Ryan Powell</FONT></CENTER>

	<TABLE ALIGN=RIGHT BORDER=0 WIDTH=10>
	<TD>
	<IMG ALT="Dustin Byrd" BORDER=1 SRC="pic/byrd01_bw.jpg" WIDTH=181 HEIGHT=227 BORDER=1>
	<HR>
	</TD>
	</TABLE>

	<P><FONT SIZE=7>j</FONT>ust like most five-year-old boys growing up in an Auburn family and coming to all the games, Dustin Byrd dreamed that he would one day put on the navy blue jersey and strap on the white helmet with the Auburn logo and walk through the tunnel into Jordan-Hare Stadium.

	<P>In the fall of 1995 that dream came true for Byrd as he dressed out for the Ole Miss game as Auburn went on to a 46-13 victory.

	<P>"That was definitely a dream come true, walking through the tunnel into the stadium and hearing all the fans going crazy," Byrd said. "I felt like I had accomplished something, it made me proud."

	<P>Byrd's journey to Auburn began in Enterprise, a small town in south Alabama.
	Since Byrd was five years old he can remember coming to all the games with parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles.

	<P>"I knew then that I wanted to be an Auburn Tiger," Byrd said.
	Byrd's football skills developed into those of a college football player under the tutelage of longtime Enterprise High School coach Bill Bacon.

	<P>"He helped me mature as a player and taught me what it would take to play football here at Auburn," said Byrd.

	<P>Byrd earned all-district honors as a quarterback and was named captain of his high school team his senior year. Byrd scored a combined 10 touchdowns rushing and passing and threw for more than 1,000 yards and ran for more than 300 yards his senior year.

	<P>Upon graduation from high school in 1994, Byrd put his dreams of playing football for Auburn on hold.

	<P>The one thing that stood in the way of Byrd living his dream out as an Auburn Tiger were his baseball skills. At Enterprise, Byrd was also a standout shortstop and received a scholarship to Wallace State Community College in Dothan, Ala.

	<P>Byrd packed his bags for Wallace State in the fall of 1994, but as it turned out that was the only fall he would be there. His heart was not in baseball, so he transferred to Auburn in the fall of 1995 to pursue his dream of being an Auburn Tiger.

	<P>The 5-foot-9 wide receiver turned down scholarship offers from small schools like Troy State University to play football, telling them from the beginning that his plans were to walk-on at Auburn.

	<P>Byrd, who now wears #11, will be the first to tell you that the life of a walk-on is not glamorous.

	<TABLE ALIGN=LEFT BORDER=0 WIDTH=10>
	<TD>
	<IMG ALT="Dustin Byrd" BORDER=1 SRC="pic/byrd02_bw.jpg" WIDTH=144 HEIGHT=254 BORDER=1>
	<HR>
	</TD>
	</TABLE>

	<P>"You work twice as hard as anyone else, just to prove that you belong," Byrd said. "It's been tough, but the support from my family and my drive to not fail has kept me going."

	<P>That hard work and drive to not fail landed Byrd a scholarship for his senior season on the Plains.

	<P>"That was a great feeling, it made me feel like I had accomplished what I set out to do from the beginning," Byrd said.

	<P>Byrd's parents have always been there for him through the good times and the bad times.

	<P>"My parents taught me what type of person to be and how to persevere through the tough times on the practice field," he said.
	Even when things do get tough, it doesn't take much to cheer him up because he knows he has his family by his side.

	<P>"My little sister, Natalie, is my biggest fan," Byrd said. "She always sends me a card before the games to encourage me."

	<P>Byrd, an exercise science major, looked back at his four years as an Auburn Tiger and said, "I've learned what it takes to be disciplined, what it takes to make it. I have made a lot of lifelong friends on this team, guys that I will be able to count on down the road. That is one thing I will cherish the most."

	<P><TABLE WIDTH=80% BORDER BGCOLOR="#000099" ALIGN=CENTER>
	<TR>
	<TD>
	<FONT SIZE=4 COLOR="#FFFF00"><B>A Closer Look At Dustin Byrd:</FONT></B>

	<FONT COLOR="#FFFFFF">

	<P>What was your favorite cartoon growing up as a child? "Flintstones."

	<P>What is your favorite TV sitcom? "Seinfeld."

	<P>What is the craziest thing you have ever done? "Get in the car with Alex McRee (Auburn's backup long snapper) and go cruising."

	<P>What is your ultimate Sportscenter highlight that you would be in? "Catching the game winning touchdown against Alabama."

	<P>What is your favorite meal that your mother cooks? "Lasagna."

	<P>What is your favorite meal that you cook? "I don't cook, I strictly eat out."

	<P>If you were stranded on a deserted island who would you want to be with you? "My mom, dad, sister, Aunt Paige and my grandparents."

	</TD>
	</TR>
	</TABLE>

	<P ALIGN=CENTER><A HREF="./" target="_top">TABLE OF CONTENTS</A> \| <A HREF="../" target="_top">PROGRAM INDEX</A> \| <A HREF="../../index.html" target="_top">HOME</A></P>

	<P ALIGN=CENTER><I>© 1999 Auburn Network, Inc.</I></P>


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