University of Memphis Athletics
Patrick Byrne Is Prepared for Life After Football
Nov 09, 2006 | Football
Nov. 9, 2006
BY: Charlie Gillingham
Patrick Byrne graduated from T.R. Miller High School in Brewton, Ala. as one of the most highly sought after football players in the state. The 6-2 quarterback led Miller to the AAAA State Championship in his junior year and finished his high school career under center completing 191 of 373 pass attempts for 3,160 yards. Byrne also impressed as a standout kicker, setting the Alabama state career records for kicking points (256) and successful PATs (202). His versatility appealed to several major programs across the country.
However, when it came time to choose a college, Byrne was doing what any good quarterback does ... anticipating.
While looking for a place that would allow him to showcase his versatility and offer him a chance to develop in all areas as a football player, Byrne was sold on Memphis after meeting with the coaching staff in mid-December of his senior season and set about making the most of his opportunities with the team.
Byrne began on the scout team in 2002, and was named Scout Team Player of the Year. Byrne worked wherever he was needed, working in practice as a quarterback, punter, and place-kicker. Byrne even made a brief appearance on an injury-ravaged Tiger basketball squad by playing in three games for John Calipari in November of his sophomore season.
Byrne took over the kickoff duties in his redshirt freshman season and worked as a backup quarterback and kicker in 2003. He once again claimed the kicking duties in his sophomore year and showed continued development as a quarterback when he was voted co-MVP of the Blue-Gray game his junior year.
Byrne's junior campaign began with a great deal of promise after he earned the starting quarterback job in the Tigers' first season without Danny Wimprine. After pulling off an interesting combination of kicker/quarterback, Byrne had an opportunity to solidify himself under center, and was looking forward to a simpler schedule, if only in practice.
"It's a weird combination," Byrne said of holding kicker and quarterback duties at the same time. "Kicking requires a lot of time and repetitions with the snapper and holder. On kickoffs, you need to keep doing it until you just drill it in. It takes a lot of time to get good at kicking. Meanwhile, if you're preparing to play quarterback, you have to spend a lot of time preparing for defenses and watching film.
"There is a lot of attention to detail," added Byrne. "When I was kicking off, I was one of the first people there and one of the last to leave. I'd have to get there early to warm up and kick before everyone else got out there. Then, I would have to work with the other quarterbacks, and then after practice I'd have to kick some more. It was tiring and it wore me down a little bit, but it's worth it because you have to be ready because you never know when they will call your number."
Coach Tommy West was confident when he called the redshirt junior's number as his 2005 signal-caller. However, a severely broken leg on the third play of the season-opening contest against Ole Miss put Byrne out for the rest of the year.
After spending his final season with the Tigers as the backup quarterback, Byrne is prepared for life after football. Showing his ability to anticipate off the field, he has earned his degree in marketing management and is currently working on a master's degree in sport and leisure commerce.
"There are so many well-known companies with branches or headquarters in Memphis that it's a great place to develop career opportunities for after football," Byrne said. "Even in high school, I began to realize that was going to have to be something important I had to think about when it came to choosing a college. I was aware of life after football back then, and there are so many things you can do here that you just wouldn't have to opportunity to do anywhere else."
Byrne has used his time at Memphis to gain valuable real-world experience. Over the summer, the Brewton, Ala., native worked as an intern with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis. Some of his main duties included working in the hospital's fundraising department and helping to coordinate the FedEx St. Jude Classic, the PGA Tour's annual stop in the Bluff City. This valuable experience is putting him well on the way to a career not too far from the field.
"I think with the degrees I will have, I really want to work in the field of sports, either on the marketing side or in an administrative capacity," Byrne said. "Whether it's in an athletic department or with a professional or minor league team, it really doesn't matter. I would just like the chance to experience that aspect of the world of sports. It really interests me, and again, this is where being in a city like Memphis helps. Besides the university, there are professional teams that could possibly offer me some opportunities."
However, Byrne still knows there is football to be played, and remains focused on trying to support the program through a difficult, injury-plagued stretch.
"One of our responsibilities as teammates is to keep supporting our injured guys as they try to get healthy again. We have to remind them that we're with them no matter what. It's been tough this year with the number of injuries we've had," said Byrne, who speaks from experience. "I couldn't do anything but sit around and watch after I got hurt last year. That was tougher than the actual rehab. We had a good year last year and a lot of credit goes to those guys for not packing it in and continuing to fight through it. We just have to keep battling through it this year."
