Ex-NFL Wide Receiver & LSU National Champion Arrested After Ugly Incident In Miami — “Who Wants To Die?”
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
Former LSU star and ex-NFL wide receiver Demetrius Byrd is in legal trouble after police arrested him following an incident on a Miami-Dade Transit bus in Florida.
According to CBS News Miami, Byrd pulled out a multi-tool during a fight and showed the knife blade while walking up to a passenger. Reports say Byrd then asked, “Who wants to die?” The victim then talked to Byrd and calmed him down before things got any worse.
Police soon arrested Byrd and charged him with dangerous assault using a deadly weapon. Officials booked him into a Miami-Dade County jail. He later received a $5,000 bond. The outlet also reported that Byrd must also appear before a judge over an open warrant connected to a separate domestic violence case.
Former LSU Star Once Battled Back From Major Setback
Byrd had a great football career at LSU from 2007 to 2008. He started for two seasons and helped LSU win the 2007 national title. That season, he led the Tigers in receiving touchdowns and finished just 35 receiving yards behind team leader Brandon LaFell.
Over 27 games with LSU, Byrd caught 72 passes for 1,134 yards and scored 11 touchdowns.
His path to the NFL changed dramatically before the 2009 NFL Draft. Byrd got into a serious car crash that hurt his chances and delayed his football dreams.
Former LSU standout and NFL draft pick Demetrius Byrd was arrested after Miami Beach police said he pulled a blade and threatened a passenger aboard a Miami-Dade Transit bus. https://t.co/gHRVYvROsT
— WSVN 7 News (@wsvn) July 28, 2026
The San Diego Chargers chose Byrd with the 224th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He sat out his whole first year, and the team cut him in 2010. He never played in an NFL game.
In a 2010 interview with Max Strauss of Prointerviews.org, Byrd reflected on how the accident changed his football future.
“I was supposed to get drafted in the second round somewhere like that. I could have slipped to the first round, you never know,” Byrd said.
He also recalled learning about his draft selection after he woke from a coma caused by the crash.
“I woke up out of the coma, I told my mom, ‘What am I doing here? I got to get ready for the draft.’ She told me, ‘You already got drafted.’ And I was like, ‘Whoa!’” Byrd said.
Now, years after his football career ended, Byrd faces a new legal challenge as the Florida case moves legally.
