| Gary Byrd |
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Overview Veteran leader of the Clemson offensive line, he played 816 snaps this year, more than any other Clemson offensive player…veteran of 1937 career plays, he should go over 2000 for his Clemson career in the bowl game…has started all 12 games this year and 26 starts in 46 career games played entering the Tangerine Bowl…has started 22 of the last 24 games…has started each of the last two Clemson bowl games and has played in last three…Clemson has a 12-0 record over the last two years when Byrd has at least double figures in knockdown blocks, 6-0 in each season…two-year starter, who also started four games during the 2000 season…had 89 knockdown blocks in 2002 to lead the team…that total included seven intimidation blocks…had average film grade of 86 percent…honorable mention All-ACC for 2002…led Clemson in knockdown blocks in five games, including three consecutive games early in the season against Louisiana Tech (13) and Georgia Tech (11)…the 13 knockdowns tied his career high…also paced the team against Ball State (10), Duke (11) and South Carolina (12)…had the highest film grade against Georgia (91 percent) and NC State…played the complete game seven times, one off the eight complete games by William Henry…had two fumble recoveries against Florida State, only Tiger to recover two fumbles in a game all season…already has his undergraduate degree…
Prior to 2002 Started the first seven games of the 2001 season and 10 of the 12, he was a key reason Clemson averaged over 400 yards per game of total offense for just the fifth year in school history …paved the way for Woody Dantzler on many plays during his 2000/1000 season of 2001… averaged 61 plays per game for the season and had 103 knockdown blocks… had outstanding game against Central Florida in the season opener of 2001, as he had 13 knockdown blocks…that was the top knockdown total for the Tigers in that game and Byrd’s single game high…had double figures in knockdown blocks in Clemson’s consecutive road wins over Georgia Tech and NC State, he had 11 in each game…also had 12 knockdowns in the win at Wake Forest…Clemson was 6-0 in 2001 when he had double figures in knockdown blocks…played 730 snaps for the year and had average film grade of 75 percent…had his highest film grade against North Carolina with an 85 percent grade… not considered a starter in 2000, but he did start four games in 2000, including each of the last three...played 353 plays as a sophomore and 199 of them came in the last three games of the season...started and played 60 snaps in the Gator Bowl against Virginia Tech... started the NC State, Florida State and South Carolina games in addition to the Virginia Tech game at right tackle in 2000...thus, he started against four bowl teams, including two teams that ended the season in the top six in the country, so he knows what it takes to play against the best in the country...played from scrimmage in all but two games in 2000, he averaged 29 plays a game in the 10 games he played on offense…had his best game against Missouri when he had an 82 percent grade in 17 snaps...had 75 percent grade in 40 snaps as a reserve against Duke...had 62 percent grade against Florida State and finished the year strong with 70 percent grade for his 79 plays against South Carolina... native of Stone Mountain, GA, he attended same high school as former Tiger All-American Robert Carswell...second-team right tackle behind John McDermott in 1999 , he played just 32 snaps on offensive plays in 1999....played 10 snaps against Mississippi State in the 1999 Peach Bowl...red-shirted the 1998 season… one of the top offensive linemen in Georgia his senior year of high school...born 3-28-79...earned his degree in parks, recreation and tourism management.
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