Dennis Byrd, a former New York Jets player, died Saturday in a car wreck outside Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Byrd, 50, played four years in the NFL before a paralyzing on-field injury ended his professional career in 1992. But the towering 6-foot-5-inch, 270-pound defensive lineman became remembered best for learning to walk again in less than a year after the accident, going on to serve as an inspiration to Jets players and fans alike.
"We are all devastated by the untimely loss of Dennis Byrd," New York Jets Owner Woody Johnson said in a statement late Saturday. "Soft-spoken and strong-willed, the inspiration he provided to all not only by his play on the field but from the way he overcame life's obstacles was remarkable by any measure."
On Saturday morning, Byrd drove northbound on State Highway 88 outside Claremore, Oklahoma, located roughly 30 miles northeast of Tulsa, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said.
A few minutes after 11 a.m. (noon ET), a Ford Explorer traveling in the opposite direction veered into oncoming traffic, colliding head-on with Byrd's Hummer H2.
Authorities declared Byrd dead at the crash site due to "massive injuries."
Paramedics transported the Explorer driver, a 17-year-old Claremore resident, to St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa, authorities said. The driver, who was admitted in stable condition, sustained injuries to his head, trunk, arm, and leg. A 12-year-old passenger riding in the Ford Explorer also sustained similar injuries, authorities said.
The cause of the collision is still under investigation, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said.
