One NFL player has a strong opinion on Kevin Byard
Tennessee Titans safety Kevin Byard is finally getting the respect he deserves. The Titans’ two-time All-Pro safety received special recognition from fellow defensive back, Giants safety Julian Love, on Thursday's edition of NFL Network’s Good Morning Football. Love, alongside former Titan Jason McCourty, ranked their top three defensive backs in football. At the top of […]
Tennessee Titans safety Kevin Byard is finally getting the respect he deserves. The Titans’ two-time All-Pro safety received special recognition from fellow defensive back, Giants safety Julian Love, on Thursday's edition of NFL Network’s Good Morning Football.
Love, alongside former Titan Jason McCourty, ranked their top three defensive backs in football. At the top of Love’s list was the Mayor of Murfreesboro himself, which might be a surprise for Titans fans who believe Byard’s abilities often get overlooked.
“He’s a guy who has been super productive his entire career," Love said. "He gets lost in the shuffle sometimes when you’re middle of the road as a team. He’s been shining his whole career, he’s always around the ball and, what I love about him is, he’s a good tackler. That gets lost as a defensive back in the upfield a lot of the time. When you’re a ball hawk and a great tackler, that’s my number one spot all day. One hundred-plus tackles, four picks, he’s just an elite player.”
Byard finished the year with 108 total tackles, leading the Titans for the third consecutive season in the category. There isn’t another safety in the NFL that can hold his own in the run game and create havoc through the air ways quite like No. 31.
Consistency is Key
Byard has been a model of consistency during his seven seasons with Tennessee. He has yet to miss a game in his career, dodging the Titans’ annual injury bug.
It’s nice to see a fellow safety recognize Byard’s greatness when so many in the national media omit him from lists like these due to the team he plays for. This goes to show that those who play the game actually realize Byard’s impact even though the NFL’s talking heads are quick to dismiss anyone donning the two-tone blue.
Featured image via George Walker IV / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK
