Saturday, April 25th, 2009, round two of the NFL draft, the Buffalo Bills select Oregon corner back, Jairus Byrd. Twenty minutes later, no one had any idea who he was. They didn’t have a highlight package or even a pic, just his bio and some stats. Now that’s not to say he wasn’t a good player, but being a Bills fan at that point made us kind of nervous.

Turns out he was one of the best corner-backs in Oregon history, but he was also one of those unsung hero types. Leaving his mark with the third most career interceptions, 17, Jairus opted to enter the NFL. Originally ranked as a mid to late third round pick, it was quite a surprise to be chosen early in the second, a move that Bills fans would not soon regret.

Starting the season injured and as a back-up, the possibility of Byrd playing a prominent role seemed to be on the back-burners. However, the most injury ridden team in the NFL wouldn’t let Jairus down. These injuries soon implanted Byrd as a prominent spot player and eventually a starter. It just goes to show that hard work and determination pays off, as his statistics will surely attest.

Nine interceptions later, Jairus is a force to be reckoned with. Leading the league as a rookie is no small task, but Jairus proved most doubters wrong. So now, finishing the season tied for first in interceptions, holding Pro-Bowl recommendations and a season ending injury, Jairus must now wait to see if his name shows up on that Defensive Rookie of the Year award, and believe you me, something must be wrong if it doesn’t.

With this amazing pedigree, Jairus is looking to continue his dominant reign on the NFL for seasons to come. Watch out boys, there is a new kind of thief in the league.