It’s funny, too often people become more generous, honest or nicer in death than they ever really were in life. Of course, that is not always the case.
I met Dennis Byrd just one time. I spent about 15 minutes or so with him at a Wolfpack Caravan stop in Elizabeth City in 2007. Byrd had just been elected to the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame and it was my opportunity to interview him face to face. These are the kind of things, as a sports writer, I truly enjoy. You don’t get to spend time with hall of famers in any realm too often and they stick out in your memory.
I perceived him as a genuinely nice man. I recall he called me by name throughout the interview, despite having only met me a few minutes before. Besides the coaches that I have worked with for several years that know me, the only other person I have interviewed on a first meet that did that was Wofford basketball coach Mike Young.
While that memory of Byrd was filed away over the years, it came back to me after Byrd passed away on July 23. I spoke to a few people about him, then I attended the memorial service here in Elizabeth City where there was an outpouring of stories and emotion. In those few memories I had of Byrd, and through stories coming from people I knew and trusted, that there was no exaggeration.
Byrd was a kind, gentle man. He was such a big man, and probably could be very intimidating if he wanted, but I never for one second felt that way after the first “hello.” I also remember he smiled the entire time. I know he was proud of his accomplishment, but there was something more there — he was just a happy guy.
There are many, many people that knew Byrd much better and will miss him much more than I. I will, however, miss not having gotten to know him better.
———
Now that NFL camps are starting up and the high schools begin practicing Monday, we can start focusing on football and here are a few things about why I look forward to football...
— It’s my favorite sport. I enjoy Friday night at the high schools, Saturday with the colleges and Sunday afternoon with the pros. I like the hitting, the fortitude it takes to push through in the fourth quarter and the sheer beauty of a long touchdown run or deep pass. Taking nothing away from basketball and baseball or any other sport, of which I like a lot of them, but nothing beats football in my mind.
— I am perpetually excited about my fantasy football team. I have been playing longer than I care to admit and I have yet to win a championship (well, I did win one in a junk league against people I did not know, but I don’t count that). I guess that is my white whale.
— Northeastern vs. Pasquotank. Yes, it is a one-sided rivalry, which causes some to even question whether it is a rivalry. But how can schools in the same county separated by less than 10 miles not be rivals? I look forward to this year’s installment with a new coach at Pasquotank bringing in a bit of unknown to the series.
— I have a date circled on my calendar — Oct. 31. I will be in New Orleans with my brother to watch the defending Super Bowl champions take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in a Sunday night game. I’m not sure what I am looking forward to more — seeing the Black and Gold or Halloween night on Bourbon Street.