Wade Byrd

Dr. Wade Byrd was an outstanding athlete not only on the football field and basketball court for R-S Central, the Spindale native also excelled in two sports at Duke, football and Men’s Lacrosse. After graduation from Duke, Byrd embarked on a distinguished military career before becoming a lawyer and judge, retiring in 2019.

Byrd says he could not wait to join the football and basketball teams at R-S Central. While Byrd enjoyed basketball, even earning All-State Honors in the sport, his biggest impact came on the gridiron. He earned All-State honors at the End position as a Senior after the 1954-55 season.

After graduation from R-S Central in 1955, Byrd attended Duke University on a full football scholarship. While in Durham, Byrd played on the same Duke teams with fellow RCSHOF member Burt Lattimore and Rutherford County native Doug Padgett.

Since Byrd played on the offensive line as a Center at Duke, he does not have that many stats, but he was a key contributor during his time in Durham. Most notably as a team captain in 1957, Byrd helped the Blue Devils reach a #14 national ranking. After posting a 6-2-2 record in the regular season, Duke played #4 Oklahoma in the prestigious Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida on New Year’s Day 1958. Even though Duke lost that game, the Blue Devils were competitive for most of the contest. As a Senior in 1958, Byrd was once again a Duke captain and finished his career in style by helping defeat rival UNC 7-6 on the final day of the season. In the Spring of 1959, Byrd tried out for and made the Duke Men’s Lacrosse team, earning All-American Honorable Mention honors at the conclusion of the season.

After graduating from Duke in 1959, Byrd went on to have a distinguished military career as a member of the Marine Corps. He was stationed at Camp Lejeune and saw duty in Guantanamo Bay and the Mediterranean. After being on active duty for 30 years, earning the rank of Captain, Byrd went to Law School at Chapel Hill and then earned a Doctorate of Law Degree from the University of Florida in 1965. During that time, Byrd was also serving in the Marine Corps Reserves until he was Honorably Discharged in 1975.

Byrd settled in Florida with his wife and three children and had a successful career as a trial lawyer and a judge. In his spare time, Byrd stayed connected with Duke, serving as President of the Palm Beach County Alumni Association during the 1980’s. Byrd also played Polo and helped establish the National Museum of Polo and Hall Of Fame, where he served as Secretary for the organization until 2022. Byrd’s other hobbies include hunting, sailing, racquetball and golf.