Byrd shows off his speed
South Carolina-bound recruit scores twice in all-star football game
By Philip Bowman
Saturday, January 1, 2011
The University of South Carolina is getting more than a football player when Damiere Byrd signs a scholarship in February.
The Gamecocks are also getting one of the best track athletes in the country. He's talked to USC track coach Curtis Frye and plans to compete for the Gamecocks.
The 5-8, 155-pound speedster, who attends Timber Creek High School in Sicklerville, N.J., showcased his speed in Friday's first NUC All-World Gridiron Classic at The Citadel's Johnson Hagood Stadium.
He played on Team World and scored the first touchdown in the event's history when he caught a 12-yard touchdown pass. He also caught the game-winning touchdown, a 22-yard reception with 49 seconds left in the game, to give Team World a 20-17 victory over Team NUC.
"I just wanted to come out and play," said Byrd, who was named the offensive player of the game after catching five passes for 52 yards. "I just wanted to have fun with everybody. Scoring two touchdowns was icing on the cake."
Byrd is New Jersey's No. 5 recruit and the nation's No. 20 wide receiver by Rivals.com. He's also No. 2 in the Garden State in the 100-meter dash, running a 10.42 at the state meet. He's also recorded a 21.8 in the 200 and a 47.8 in the 400.
He opened football coaches' eyes last spring at the Nike combine in Philadelphia, when he ran an electronically timed 4.26 in the 40-yard dash.
South Carolina won a spirited recruiting war to gain his services. He also had offers from Rutgers, Boston College, Cincinnati, Florida, Iowa, Nebraska, Mississippi, Pittsburgh, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Byrd picked South Carolina because it's "up and coming, a decent program that will emerge as an elite force within a year or so."
He chose South Carolina because he believes coach Steve Spurrier has brought stability to the Gamecocks.
Byrd's high school career started with an exclamation point. On the first play of his varsity career, he returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. He hasn't slowed down.
Byrd was one of three future Gamecocks who played in the game. The other two were K.J. Brent, a receiver from Waxhaw, N.C., and defensive back Kadetrix Marcus, of Stone Mountain, Ga.
Brent had three catches for 64 yards including a 44-yard catch to set up the winning score.
Three players from the Palmetto State played in the game: Porter-Gaud wide receiver Stanton Seckinger, linebacker Jacob Baxter of West Columbia and kicker Alex Howell of Florence. Seckinger will play for Clemson, Baxter is undecided, and Howell is headed to Boston College.
World--Damiere Byrd 13 pass from Michael Eubanks (Alex Howell kick)
NUC--Mauro Bondi 32 FG
World--Eric Ebron 22 pass from Maikhail Miller (Howell kick)
NUC--Devin Clarke 20 pass from Johnny Manziel (Bondi kick)
NUC--45 fumble recovery (Bondi kick)
World-Byrd 22 pass from Eubanks (kick failed)
The Gamecocks are also getting one of the best track athletes in the country. He's talked to USC track coach Curtis Frye and plans to compete for the Gamecocks.
Porter-Gaud’s Stanton Seckinger was one of three players from the Palmetto State to participate in the NUC All-World Gridiron Classic at Johnson Hagood Stadium on Friday night.
He played on Team World and scored the first touchdown in the event's history when he caught a 12-yard touchdown pass. He also caught the game-winning touchdown, a 22-yard reception with 49 seconds left in the game, to give Team World a 20-17 victory over Team NUC.
"I just wanted to come out and play," said Byrd, who was named the offensive player of the game after catching five passes for 52 yards. "I just wanted to have fun with everybody. Scoring two touchdowns was icing on the cake."
Byrd is New Jersey's No. 5 recruit and the nation's No. 20 wide receiver by Rivals.com. He's also No. 2 in the Garden State in the 100-meter dash, running a 10.42 at the state meet. He's also recorded a 21.8 in the 200 and a 47.8 in the 400.
He opened football coaches' eyes last spring at the Nike combine in Philadelphia, when he ran an electronically timed 4.26 in the 40-yard dash.
South Carolina won a spirited recruiting war to gain his services. He also had offers from Rutgers, Boston College, Cincinnati, Florida, Iowa, Nebraska, Mississippi, Pittsburgh, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Byrd picked South Carolina because it's "up and coming, a decent program that will emerge as an elite force within a year or so."
He chose South Carolina because he believes coach Steve Spurrier has brought stability to the Gamecocks.
Byrd's high school career started with an exclamation point. On the first play of his varsity career, he returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. He hasn't slowed down.
Byrd was one of three future Gamecocks who played in the game. The other two were K.J. Brent, a receiver from Waxhaw, N.C., and defensive back Kadetrix Marcus, of Stone Mountain, Ga.
Brent had three catches for 64 yards including a 44-yard catch to set up the winning score.
Three players from the Palmetto State played in the game: Porter-Gaud wide receiver Stanton Seckinger, linebacker Jacob Baxter of West Columbia and kicker Alex Howell of Florence. Seckinger will play for Clemson, Baxter is undecided, and Howell is headed to Boston College.
World--Damiere Byrd 13 pass from Michael Eubanks (Alex Howell kick)
NUC--Mauro Bondi 32 FG
World--Eric Ebron 22 pass from Maikhail Miller (Howell kick)
NUC--Devin Clarke 20 pass from Johnny Manziel (Bondi kick)
NUC--45 fumble recovery (Bondi kick)
World-Byrd 22 pass from Eubanks (kick failed)
