Marshall University Athletics
Marshall Athletics Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2007
- Class:
- 2002
Marshall’s highest NFL Draft pick of all time, Byron Leftwich seemed destined to be a Heisman Trophy finalist in his senior season when a leg injury caused him to miss some playing time. Even so, the Washington, D.C., native led Marshall to two Mid-American Conference championships and another runner-up finish as the Herd’s starting quarterback, setting MAC career records for passing yards (11,903), completions (939) and completion percentage (.651). Leftwich was named MVP of the 2000 Motor City Bowl and then of the GMAC Bowl in 2001 and 2002, was twice named the West Virginia Amateur Athlete of the Year and, despite the leg injury, finished sixth in the 2002 Heisman Trophy voting.
Leftwich was then the first-round pick (seventh overall selection) of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2003 NFL Draft and started 50 games in a 10-year career with Jacksonville, Atlanta, Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh, with which he was a member of the 2009 Super Bowl champions. Leftwich was named the West Virginia Amateur Athlete of the Year in 2001 and 2002. He was inducted into the Marshall Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007.
