Title
Honoring Philadelphia Eagles’ safety Kevin Byard and welcoming him back to Philadelphia.
Body
WHEREAS, Kevin Byard was born in West Philadelphia and got his start on 52nd Street and Lancaster Avenue. When he was 14 years old, he moved to Atlanta, Georgia with his mother and siblings. He attended Martin Luther King Jr. High School in Lithonia, Georgia, where he participated in football and track; and
WHEREAS, After Kevin graduated from high school, he played football at Middle Tennessee State University from 2012-2015. There, he earned Honorable Mention All-Conference USA honors in 2013. He was also named First-team All-Conference USA in 2014 and 2015. Kevin's 19 career interceptions are the most in school history. Kevin graduated from Middle Tennessee in May of 2015 with a degree in liberal studies; and
WHEREAS, In 2016, Kevin played in the Senior Bowl, an all-star college exhibition game, where the 2016 NFL draft prospects competed. During that week of practice, he met with the Atlanta Falcons, however he did not make it to the combine. On March 31, 2016, he participated at Middle Tennessee's pro day, along with 18 other teammates. He surprised many scouts and analysts with a 4.46 and 4.50 in the 40-yard dash. Byard had official private visits or workouts with 12 teams that included the Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, and Los Angeles Rams. At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Byard received many mixed draft projections from draft experts and scouts, with some projecting him to be a third or fourth round pick; and
WHEREAS, Byard was drafted by the Tennessee Titans with the first pick in the third round in the 2016 NFL Draft. Kevin was the 24th player ever drafted from Middle Tennessee State and the highest player drafted from there since Tyrone Calico. Byard was the fifth safety selected in the 2016 NFL draft. On July 18, 2016, the Tennessee Titans signed Byard to a four-year contract; and
WHEREAS, Byard made his NFL debut in the Titans' season-opener against the Minnesota Vikings and collected five solo tackles in a 25-16 loss. On November 6, 2016, he recorded a season-high ten combined tackles in the Titans' 43-35 loss at the San Diego Chargers. He finished his rookie season with a total of 58 combined tackles (44 solo), one sack, and four pass deflections in seven starts and 16 games; and
WHEREAS, On December 31, 2017, Byard recorded six combined tackles, broke up two passes, and intercepted two passes by Blake Bortles in the Titans' 15-10 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. His performance earned him AFC Defensive Player of the Week; and
WHEREAS, On January 21, 2018, Byard was selected to appear in the 2018 Pro Bowl as an injury replacement. It marked his first career Pro Bowl. Kevin was ranked 80th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018; and
WHEREAS, On July 24, 2019, Kevin signed a five-year extension worth $70.5 million with $31 million guaranteed with the Titans, making him the highest-paid safety in NFL history; and
WHEREAS, On October 23, 2023, Kevin returned to Philadelphia the Titans traded him to the Eagles in exchange for a fifth-round pick and a sixth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft; and
WHEREAS, The Council of the City of Philadelphia would like to honor Kevin Byard and welcome him home to the Philadelphia Eagles. His decorated career will serve the team and our city well during the upcoming season. Kevin’s roots in this city make it a special honor to have him play for our beloved team. This legislative body extends the utmost respect and admiration to Kevin and wishes him success in his career with the Philadelphia Eagles; now, therefore, be it.
RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby honors Philadelphia Eagles’ safety Kevin Byard and welcomes him back to Philadelphia.
End