Byrd measures up for Bearcats

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By Bill Koch

Enquirer staff writer

The conventional wisdom is that Terrill Byrd is too short to play major-college football on the defensive line.

That's the reason he was given for why the big-name football schools weren't interested in him.

University of Cincinnati coach Mark Dantonio had no such qualms.

The 6-foot-1 Byrd, the PrepNation.com national defensive player of the year last year out of Colerain High School, is definitely tall enough to play for him.

"You're going to see him playing (this year)," Dantonio said. "You can pretty much write that one down. There's no doubt that if he was 6-3 or 6-4, he would have been one of the top recruits in the nation. But we try to make decisions based on what we find out about them."

Byrd, who had 21 sacks and 178 tackles last year, is one of two freshmen who have made an immediate favorable impression on Dantonio and his staff during the first week of training camp. The other is defensive back Cedric Tolbert from Xenia High School.

Both have spent time playing with the starting unit, but they're not the only freshmen who will see significant playing time this season.

"I think you're going to see 10 to 12 players playing as true freshmen, in and out of the lineup," Dantonio said, "not totally starting, but playing by nature of the opportunity that's there for them and also by nature of the skill of the players."

Byrd, who says his weight is up to 290, has responded to questions about his height by exerting himself in the weight room.

Already at UC, he has bench-pressed 400 pounds once and 365 pounds four times. He's the strongest member of the Bearcats' freshman class.

"Coach 'D' said as long as you come in here and you play hard, you're going to play," Byrd said. "I was like, 'Let's go for it.' The coaches here want to see talent and skills. They want to see what you can do. They're not worried about how tall you are."

Tolbert, 6 feet and 195 pounds, was a star running back at Xenia as well as a standout defensive back. He rushed for more than 3,500 yards and is the school's career touchdown leader with 53.

At UC, which is deep at the running back position, he has been penciled in as a cornerback and could end up starting there.

"We might as well put the pressure on him right now," Dantonio said.

Tolbert says he's ready for it.

"I gained more success and I was known more as a running back (in high school), but I love defense just as much," Tolbert said.

"I think defense is all about playing with pride. If you have pride in yourself, you're not going to let another man beat you."

The UC freshmen find themselves in an enviable position because of the dearth of upperclassmen on this team, which has only 11 seniors.

It was one of the selling points coaches used when they recruited last winter.

"One thing that attracts you to a school is the opportunity to come in and play your freshman year," Tolbert said.

"When they told me that so many seniors in their defensive backfield graduated and that I would have a chance to play, that light bulb just went off. It sounded real good."

Said Byrd: "It's a young team, so the freshmen have to come in here and be more mature and step up to the plate."

NOTES: Former Anderson High School quarterback Kurt Shoemaker has transferred to UC from Akron as a walk-on.

The first 5,000 fans to enter Nippert Stadium for the Sept. 1 season opener against Eastern Michigan will receive a Big East commemorative Bearcat BobbleHead.