Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, July 7, 1993 TAG: 9307070057
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press and New York Times reports
DATELINE: NEW YORK LENGTH: Medium
\ Dennis Byrd, whose pro football career ended abruptly last season when he broke his neck, has taken the first step toward a new career as a television analyst with CBS Sports.
The network made the announcement Tuesday, saying the former New York Jets defensive lineman would work six games during the 1993 NFL season.
Byrd came off the field Nov. 29 paralyzed from the neck down. Miraculously, he took his first halting steps on crutches 1 1/2 months later. And now, he is taking another big step.
"I think there is hope that this will be the start of a whole new adventure for him," said Rick Gentile, a senior vice president at CBS Sports. "I sense that he is very, very excited about it, as are we."
Byrd was not available for comment immediately. He is working long hours on a book that is due to be completed next week and published in September, and he still is in intensive rehabilitation. Gentile said he would have Byrd in New York in August to meet the media and his new co-workers.
With the kind of attention that has been focused on Byrd since the injury, Gentile said CBS and Byrd don't want it to look as if they are trying to exploit the situation.
"He's very conscious of the fact he's embarking on a whole new career. He's a very personable and charismatic kind of guy, and we will have to resist the temptation to move him too quickly," Gentile said.
Gentile said it was doubtful Byrd would make any of his early TV appearances in New York, where he played for four seasons.
"I think he's moving cautiously, and that's wise," Gentile said. "I think we'll try to bring him along slowly and work at a pace he's comfortable with. We've got some pretty experienced producers and play-by-play guys to help him out.
The idea to hire Byrd came from a conversation between Gentile and Ed Goren, a CBS Sports senior producer. Gentile spoke to Byrd's agent, Rick Schaefer, about six weeks ago, and he talked to Byrd two weeks later.
Gentile said he would try not to bounce Byrd from one play-by-play partner to another.
"It's a hard enough job without that," Gentile said.
John Madden, the top football analyst at CBS, focused on Byrd's playing experience as a key to his on-air success.
"There's something about having been there and gone through what the players have gone through that adds a lot," he said. "And the way he's handled this whole thing makes him a hero."
by CNB