The countdown to USC’s 2025 football season is officially on! The Trojans kick off their new campaign 53 days from today. You need something to help you while away the days and hours in the spring and summer. This is one way to do so. In this new series, countdown to kickoff, we will be counting down the days by highlighting a notable Trojan who wore each number. Today, we look at former USC offensive lineman Jeff Byers.
Position: Offensive line
Years played at USC: 2004-2009
Career highlights: Byers arrived at USC in 2004 and made an immediate impact, playing a key role on the Trojans’ national championship team as a true freshman. However, injuries caused him to miss all but one game of the next two seasons. Byers returned to the Trojans’ lineup in 2007 and remained there for the next three years, primarily starting at offensive guard while also playing center on occasion.
Due to his injuries, Byers was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA in 2009. That season, he was named a USC team captain for the second consecutive year, while also earning first-team all-conference and third-team All-American honors.
After USC: Byers had the rare fortune of going from college to the NFL without having to change head coaches. After going undrafted in the 2010 NFL Draft, he signed with the Seattle Seahawks and head coach Pete Carroll, who coached Byers at USC. However, he was released by Seattle prior to the start of the 2010 season.
Being released would not mark the end of Byers’s professional career, however. He would go on to play parts of four seasons in the NFL with the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers, appearing in 22 games with seven starts. He announced his retirement from the league in 2014.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC football countdown to kickoff—Jeff Byers in focus
Reporting by Adam Bradford, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
