He was a Byrd who loved to fish, and he was a prize catch for the University of New Mexico football program.
The loss of Markel Byrd, Lobos coach Bob Davie said, will be sorely felt for years to come.
Byrd, a UNM sophomore safety, was killed Tuesday afternoon in a one-car crash on I-40 in Arizona just west of Gallup. He was 20.
In a phone interview Wednesday morning, Davie called Byrd “a shining light. … He was a unique personality.
• Born: March 23, 1995
• Mother: Stephanie Threadgill
• High school: Horizon Christian Academy, San Diego, where he was a cornerback and quarterback
• 2013: Redshirted at UNM
• 2014: Played in 12 games, starting eight of the final nine.