Bill Byrne (American football)

William Joseph Byrne (November 19, 1940 – June 23, 2021) was an American football guard.

Raised in Montclair, New Jersey,[1] he played prep football at Montclair High School, leading a team that lost only one game in his final two seasons.

[5] Despite having a matching offer from the Dallas Texans of the American Football League, he signed with the Eagles in December 1961.

[6] He was the lone rookie slated to play in an early exhibition game in 1962,[7] but he sustained a slipped disc in a warmup prior to the game.

He was released by the Eagles at the start of the 1963 season but then recalled to the team.