Keith Byars Age, Wiki, Family, Career, Awards, Net Worth

Before he was calling games on the radio in his hometown, Keith Byars was the man who lost his shoe on the way to a touchdown and never stopped running. Keith was born on October 14, 1963 (63 years old) in Dayton, Ohio. Byars grew into one of the most versatile players football has ever seen.

He starred at Ohio State, where he finished second for the 1984 Heisman Trophy behind Doug Flutie while piling up a school record 2,441 all-purpose yards in a single season.

The Philadelphia Eagles then made him the 10th overall pick in the 1986 NFL Draft, and he went on to play 13 seasons with the Eagles, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, and New York Jets, earning Pro Bowl honors in 1993 and playing in Super Bowl XXXI. Fans remember him for that famous shoeless run against Illinois, when he scored five touchdowns in one comeback game.

In 2020, his legacy was sealed with induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. Today, Byars shares that wealth of experience as a sports broadcaster in Dayton.

Quick Facts of Keith Byars

Full Name	Keith Alan Byars
Profession	Sports broadcaster and former NFL player
Age	63 years old
Date of Birth	October 14, 1963
Nationality	American
Zodiac/Sun Sign	Libra
Birthplace	Dayton, Ohio, USA
Current Address	Dayton, Ohio, USA
Gender	Male

Keith Byars Early Life and Education

Keith Byars was born in Dayton, Ohio. His parents are Reggie and Margaret, and his family home sat just inside the Trotwood border in Dayton.

From a young age, he loved sports and was unsure whether football was even his best one. He played on a state championship Little League team that beat a team featuring future NFL quarterback Bernie Kosar, thanks to a diving catch Byars made in centerfield.

Education

Byars first attended Trotwood Madison High School before transferring to Roth High School in Dayton in 1979, where coach Tom Montgomery welcomed him as a tight end and linebacker.

He excelled in football, basketball, baseball, and track. He started on two straight state championship basketball teams and made the All-City baseball team as an outfielder.

He then played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes from 1982 to 1985 under head coach Earle Bruce.

School	Roth High School (Dayton, OH) and Trotwood Madison High School (Trotwood, OH)
Alma Mater	The Ohio State University
Highest Qualification	Yet to be updated

Keith Byars Personal Life

Keith Byars is a family man who moved back to his hometown of Dayton in 2015 to be closer to his roots and loved ones. He has been married twice and describes family as a big part of his life away from football.

Current Wife

Byars is married to Monica Byars. She is also a Dayton native and a graduate of Dunbar High School. The couple lives in Dayton, where Keith does his radio work and plays golf in his free time.

Monica played a special role in his life after football. The Dayton Weekly News reported that she was a big reason Keith decided to move back home in 2015 after spending years living near Philadelphia and Miami. It is known that Keith had said he could always come back home, and returning to Dayton meant returning to his roots with her by his side.

Past Marriage and Ex Wife

Before marrying Monica, Byars was married to gospel singer Margaret Bell Byars. She was born on July 29, 1962, in Detroit, Michigan.

Margaret sings both traditional black gospel and Christian R&B styles and began her music journey in 1980 as a student at Oral Roberts University, where she sang in the university choir. She released her only album, Over and Over, in 1991 through Warner Alliance Music, and it reached number 23 on the Billboard Gospel Albums chart. She grew up in Detroit with her parents, Jesse Garfield and Mildred Bell, and her two older sisters, Charlene and Vanessa.

Their marriage produced two children, Taylor and Keith. The couple later went their separate ways, and Keith has since built a blended family of three children.

Details about how Keith and Margaret met, their wedding, and the reason for their separation are still to be determined.

Children

Byars has a blended family of three children:

• Keith Alan Byars II (Keith Jr.): His son, who played high school football in Boca Raton, Florida, where Keith Sr. helped coach him. He later married Courtney Marzec.
• Taylor Renae Byars: His daughter from his marriage to gospel singer Margaret Bell-Byars.
• A third child: Byars has a younger child from his second marriage. The name and other details are yet to be updated.

Parents

Keith Byars was raised in Dayton, Ohio, by his parents, Reginald (Reggie) and Margaret Byars. Both of his parents have passed away (Margaret passed away in May 2018).

Father

His father’s name is Reggie Byars. He was a Baptist minister in Dayton. Keith frequently jokes about growing up as a “preacher’s kid”, noting that his father taught him discipline.

Notably, when Keith suffered a severe foot injury at Ohio State in 1985, his father publicly criticized the university’s team physicians for mishandling his son’s medical care.

Mother

His mother’s name is Margaret. She initially did not want Keith to play football and refused to sign his sixth-grade permission slip. Keith snuck onto the team anyway in the seventh grade when permission slips weren’t required.

She eventually grew to love the sport and famously teased Keith after his legendary “one-shoe touchdown” against Illinois, telling him she was just glad he didn’t have a hole in his sock on national television.

Siblings

Keith has four siblings: Reginald, Tracie, Russel, and Tanya.

• Reginald Byars Jr.: Named after their father, Reginald Jr. grew up helping navigate the busy household and remains close with Keith.
• Russel Byars: Along with Reginald, Russel was part of the band of brothers who kept the household highly competitive and athletic.
• Tracie Byars: One of Keith’s two sisters, Tracie grew up amidst the chaotic household, contributing to the tight-knit family dynamic that Keith frequently praises in interviews.
• Tanya Byars: His other sister, who, along with the rest of the siblings, shares the musical and spiritual background passed down by their mother and father.

Relationship Status	Married
Wives	Current wife: Monica Byars Ex-wife: Margaret Bell-Byars
Children	Son: Keith Alan Byars II (Keith Jr.) Daughter: Taylor Renae Byars
Parents	Father: Reginald (Reggie) Mother: Margaret
Siblings	Brothers: Russel and Reginald Byars Jr. Sisters: Tracie and Tanya Byars

Keith Byars Career

Keith Byars built his career in three big stages, first as a multi-sport high school star, then as a college and NFL legend, and finally as a coach and broadcaster who returned to his Dayton roots.

1979 to 1981: Multi-Sport Star at Roth High School

Byars transferred to Roth High School in 1979 and made an instant impression. Coach Tom Montgomery recalled that Byars showed up on the first day of practice saying he had enrolled at Roth, calling himself a tight end and linebacker.

Montgomery soon saw his talent in a reserve game against Meadowdale, when Byars scooped up a fumble with his right hand and ran 40 yards for a score without switching hands.

Byars was a starter on two consecutive state championship basketball teams, and the 1980 to 1981 Roth team is considered one of the best in Ohio high school basketball history. He also ran on state relay teams in track and made the All-City baseball team as an outfielder. In football, he ran for over 1,500 yards despite missing two games with an injury.

1982 to 1985: Ohio State Buckeyes Stardom

Playing as a tailback for Ohio State under College Football Hall of Fame coach Earle Bruce, Byars became one of the greatest players in school history.

His running backs coach in 1984 was Jim Tressel, who later became the Buckeyes head coach, and he played alongside Hall of Fame linebacker Chris Spielman.

The legendary 1984 season

In 1984, Byars gained a school record 2,441 all-purpose yards, including 1,764 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns, and finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting behind Doug Flutie. He led the nation that season in rushing yards, all-purpose yards, and scoring, and guided Ohio State to the Big Ten title and a trip to the Rose Bowl.

On October 13, 1984, he delivered one of the most famous games in school history against Illinois. Ohio State trailed 24 to 0 before Byars led the comeback, rushing for 274 yards and five touchdowns, the last with 36 seconds left.

On his fourth score, a 67-yard run, he lost his left shoe at the Illini 40 but never broke stride. That same season, he set a single-game school record with 354 all-purpose yards against Purdue.

Injury setbacks and the 1985 season

Byars entered 1985 as a preseason Heisman favorite and team captain, but he fractured a bone in his right foot near his little toe during preseason practice.

He missed the first five games, returned too early, and reinjured the bone in his second game back. He attempted one more return in the Citrus Bowl on December 28 but hurt the foot again in the second offensive series.

Final college numbers

Despite losing almost his entire senior year, Byars finished with 4,369 total yards, 3,200 rushing yards, and 50 touchdowns, the second most in school history. He surpassed 100 rushing yards in 17 games and twice led the Big Ten in rushing.

He helped the Buckeyes to four top-15 finishes and three bowl wins, including the 1984 Fiesta Bowl, where he returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown and added another score rushing against Pittsburgh.

1986 to 1992: Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles selected Byars 10th overall in the first round of the 1986 NFL Draft. As a professional, he played running back, fullback, and tight end, proving to be a superb rusher, blocker, and pass receiver. His best statistical years came in Philadelphia.

In 1988, he rushed for 517 yards, recorded 71 receptions, which ranked ninth in the NFL, and scored 10 touchdowns, adding 34 rushing yards and 9 catches for 103 yards in a playoff loss to the Chicago Bears.

In 1990, he caught 81 passes for 819 yards, the third most receptions in the league, and completed all 4 of his pass attempts for 53 yards and 4 touchdowns.

One of his most remarkable records came during this era. Byars caught at least one pass in 130 consecutive games from November 1, 1987, to September 8, 1996, the fifth-longest streak in league history. His Eagles teammates included linebacker Seth Joyner and defensive end Clyde Simmons, who were drafted with him in 1986 and became stars on the team.

1993 to 1996: Miami Dolphins and Pro Bowl Honor

Byars joined the Miami Dolphins in 1993 and earned his only Pro Bowl selection that season.

He played alongside quarterback Dan Marino in Miami and continued his streak of productive receiving seasons as a fullback.

His 610 career receptions rank 15th all time among running backs and tight ends, and he is one of only two players in the top 15 who played mainly as a fullback.

1996 to 1998: New England Patriots, Super Bowl XXXI, and New York Jets

Midway through the 1996 season, Byars moved to the New England Patriots, where he made his first and only Super Bowl appearance.

The 33-year-old played well in Super Bowl XXXI, catching 4 passes for 42 yards and a touchdown, though New England fell 35 to 21 to Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers.

He stayed with the Patriots through 1997 and finished his playing career with the New York Jets in 1998. That season, he helped the Jets reach the AFC Championship Game against the Denver Broncos, catching 3 passes for 33 yards in that contest.

Final NFL numbers

Byars finished his 13 NFL seasons with 3,109 rushing yards, 610 receptions for 5,661 yards, and 54 total touchdowns, 23 rushing and 31 receiving. His 6 passing touchdowns are the third most by a running back in NFL history.

2009 to 2011: Head Coach at Boca Raton High School

After retiring as a player, Byars moved into coaching. He led the Boca Raton High School varsity football team in Boca Raton, Florida, from 2009 until September 2011. Living near his former NFL city of Miami made the role a natural fit, and it also let him coach his son’s high school team.

2011 to Present: Broadcasting Career in Radio and Television

Broadcasting became Byars’ main arena after football, and he now works on both radio and television.

Radio work in Dayton

Byars co-hosts Sunday Morning Sports with Justin Kinner on ESPN 1410 WING AM in his hometown of Dayton, Ohio, airing Sundays from 9 to 11 am. On the same station, he also hosts The Keith Byars Show on Mondays.

Alongside his studio work, he broadcasts high school football on 101.5 HANK FM for the Greater Western Ohio Conference, keeping his Friday nights tied to the game and the community where he grew up.

Television analyst for the YES Network

Byars served as a television analyst for New York Football Weekly and This Week in Football on the YES Network, the channel that airs New York Yankees games and Jets programming. In this role, he broke down the NFL from the studio side, offering analysis built on his 13 seasons as a player.

College football analyst work

Byars has also worked as a college football analyst for the Big Ten Network, where his commentary draws on his record-setting playing days in the conference.

Return home to Dayton

In 2015, Byars moved back to Dayton, saying home is always home. From there, he continues his radio show, calls high school football, and plays golf when the weather allows. He has said he will always stay affiliated with sports teams.

Keith Byars Awards and Achievements

Keith Byars earned major honors at every level of the game, from high school to the pros.

Key Wins

• Unanimous first-team All-American in 1984.
• Big Ten Most Valuable Player and Big Ten Player of the Year in 1984.
• Pro Bowl selection in 1993 with the Miami Dolphins.
• Named to the Philadelphia Eagles 75th Anniversary Team.
• Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2020.
• Inducted into the Ohio State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000.
• Inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020.

Key Nominations

• Second in the 1984 Heisman Trophy voting behind Doug Flutie.
• Second-team All-American in 1983.
• Two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection in 1983 and 1984.

Keith Byars Controversy

Keith Byars has largely avoided major personal controversies. Below are the only notable incidents connected to his career:

• The 1985 foot injury dispute: Byars entered 1985 as the favorite for the Heisman Trophy, but he fractured a bone in his right foot during preseason practice. He missed the first five games, returned too early, and reinjured the bone in his second game back. He tried to return again in the Citrus Bowl on December 28 but hurt the foot in the second offensive series of the game. Because of the unusual severity and timing of the injury, questions were raised about the treatment and return decisions, but detailed accounts of any public disagreement between his family and the Ohio State medical staff are yet to be updated.
• The hard block on Pepper Johnson: In a 1990 game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants, Byars delivered a punishing downfield block on Giants linebacker Pepper Johnson, who had been his college teammate at Ohio State under coach Earle Bruce from 1982 to 1985. The block was legal under the rules of that era, but it is often revisited in modern discussions about player safety, when similar blindside blocks now draw penalties and fines.

Keith Byars Net Worth

The estimated net worth of Keith Byars is around $4 million, built through his NFL earnings, broadcasting career, endorsements, and smart investments.

Net Worth (Approx.)

$4 million

Keith Byars Height, Weight, and Physical Stats

Below are the physical stats of Keith Byars:

Height	In centimetres: 185 cm In meters: 1.85 m In feet & inches: 6 feet 1 inch
Weight	In kg: 111 kg In lbs: 245 lbs
Hair Color	Black
Eye Color	Dark brown

Keith Byars Social Media

X	@KAB41
Facebook	@keith.byars

Interesting Facts About Keith Byars

• His high school nickname was Boomer, given for the sound he made when hitting opposing running backs on defense.
• His 354 all-purpose yards against Purdue in 1984 remain an Ohio State single-game record.
• He led the nation in rushing yards, all-purpose yards, and scoring during the 1984 season.
• He surpassed 100 rushing yards in 17 college games and twice led the Big Ten in rushing.
• He completed 6 of 13 passes in the NFL for 119 yards and six touchdowns.
• Byars was inducted into both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame in the same year, 2020.
• He loves golf and plays it whenever the Dayton weather allows.

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