Scott Mersereau

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Scott Mersereau
Date of birth: April 8, 1965 (1965-04-08) (age 43)
Place of birth: Flag of the United States Riverhead, New York
Career information
Position(s): Defensive end
College: Southern Connecticut State
NFL Draft: 1987 / Round: 5 / Pick 136
(By the Los Angeles Rams
Organizations
 As player:
1987-1993 New York Jets
Stats at DatabaseFootball.com

Scott Robert Mersereau born (April 8, 1965 in Riverhead, New York) is a former defensive end for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He attended college at Southern Connecticut State University. He had played professionally for the New York Jets for 7 seasons beginning in 1987.

Mersereau is most famous for a collision with teammate Dennis Byrd, in which Byrd was paralyzed from a neck injury during an NFL game against the Kansas City Chiefs on November 29, 1992. During the play, Byrd rushed in an attempt to sack Chiefs quarterback Dave Krieg, but Krieg stepped up to avoid the tackle, and Byrd collided with Mersereau. Byrd ducked his head at the last moment before he collided with Mersereau's chest. The head-first collision resulted in a broken vertebra that left Byrd paralyzed. Byrd later recovered, but didn't play football again.