Henry Byrd ‘23 was once the rock of a two-time Ivy League Championship-winning Princeton Football team from 2018 to 2022. As a member of the offensive line, he was one of five players — alongside recent NFL draftee Jalen Travis ‘24 — tasked with protecting the quarterback.
In the years since he left the Ancient Eight, he’s been out to prove that he can be the rock of a NFL team as well. Born and raised in Nashville, Byrd didn’t think professional football was where he would be after college, but it’s a journey he’s delighted to be on.
“I never really expected it,” Byrd told The Daily Princetonian. “It wasn’t until I was in college and I had a coach tell me that this is where my potential could take me. I really never would have taken it seriously as a goal if I went back and told my younger self that this is what I would be doing.”
Although a career in professional football may have been surprising for a young Byrd, he is part of a larger trend of offensive line talent emerging from Princeton in the past few years.
Alongside Byrd and Travis, the Tigers saw three of their offensive lineman transfer to other schools for a graduate year with professional football on their horizons. Tommy Matheson, Nick Hilliard, and Will Reed made up the core of the offensive line for the Tigers in 2024 and will take their talents to Boston College, Austin Peay, and Georgia Tech respectively as graduate transfers.
“Pro football is very different from college in the sense that this is like a full-time job now,” Byrd said. “But learning to be a teammate, learning how to study, learning how to watch film are all skills that I first picked up at Princeton through coaches.”
Byrd wasn’t drafted in the 2023 NFL draft and instead went as an underafted free agent. Following the draft, he initially signed with the Denver Broncos before being cut and signed by the Minnesota Vikings to their practice squad.
Byrd went on to then have a very brief stint with the San Francisco 49ers practice squad before returning to the Vikings and finishing out the rest of the 2023 season with them.
“It's pretty hectic,” Byrd said. “It’s not really something that you expect coming out of college, especially [at] Princeton.”
In 2024, Byrd was signed and waived, before being signed again by the Vikings to a reserve/futures contract in January 2025. This arrangement gives the team the option to offer him a full contract upon the start of the 2025 NFL season, another step towards the final 53-man roster.
Byrd previously played on the Vikings’ practice squad, which trains with the team, but doesn’t take up any of the limited available space on the 53-man roster. This means that the team can make of use their skills in practice, call upon players to replace injured active players, and even let players develop in the practice squad over the course of the season.
Practice squad players like Byrd also get a foot in the door during the summer offseason, when they take part in joint team practices with other teams, and three preseason games against other NFL opposition.
“Our coach always says that’s like your resume, these three [preseason] games,” Byrd said. “I’m focused on the specific technique stuff, but overall I’m just really trying to find a way to help contribute to the Vikings and to this team.”
Byrd seemingly has found a more permanent home with the Vikings, returning to their squad and practice squad on multiple occasions now. Heading into his third year, he sits at a pivotal juncture for demonstrating everything he has learned and his worth to the team.
Although it’s early on, there is much for Byrd to be hopeful about heading into the 2025 season. An unofficial depth chart released by the Vikings ahead of their first preseason game against the Texans listed Byrd as the backup right guard behind recent free agent addition Will Fries.
Teams typically carry eight to 10 offensive linemen on the 53-man roster, so a second-string designation is promising for Byrd. Indeed, in the Vikings’ 20–10 preseason victory over the Texans, Byrd played many snaps, mostly at left guard, alongside much of the second-team offense.
Byrd showed his versatility across multiple positions on the line, a dynamic he thinks can help him stand out amongst other players. At Princeton, he mostly played at left tackle, but at the pro level he has recently taken snaps at all positions on the o-line.
“That’s kind of been my niche so far in the pros, being able to play multiple positions,” Byrd said. “I think I’m probably developing most as a guard currently and that seems to be where I like playing the most, but whatever I can do to help the team is really what I strive to do.”
In the Vikings’ close-knit offensive line unit, Byrd said he’s learned immensely from his fellow players.
“Everybody has different strengths, so, for somebody like me I really try to pick up different pieces from everybody,” Byrd said. “Guys like Christian Darrisaw are so good against power rushers, Brian [O’Neill]’s really good with his hands ... you just want to absorb everything that they do.”
“Those guys really take care of their bodies, really study up before the game, take practice, take reps seriously. So, it's been really cool to learn from them,” he continued.
Byrd will be hoping to learn from these players all season as part of the 53-man roster. To do so, he will have to continue to impress in training camp and the Vikings’ final two preseason games, against the New England Patriots on August 16 and his hometown Tennessee Titans on August 22.
The final 53-man roster announcements are made four days later, on August 26.
Byrd, like hundreds of athletes around the league each year, is vying for one off the venerated roster spots — part of a cycle of dedication, struggle, and delight where players either find a home or keep looking.
“I’m just trying to carve out some kind of role there, where I can be part of this group, because I think we have a really talented team. I really want to be along for the ride,” Byrd said.
Alex Beverton-Smith is a head Sports editor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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