Tawfiq Byard the defensive leader Buffs have longed for, broken hand and all

Tawfiq Byard was Colorado's second-leading tackler in its upset win over Iowa State. (Photo by Madison Kerest/Sko Buffs Sports)

In the Colorado Buffaloes’ 24-17 win over the No. 22 Iowa State Cyclones, safety Tawfiq Byard played a pivotal role. After stating needed defensive changes, he stood up and made them himself on a grand stage.

The transfer redshirt sophomore is midway through his first season in Boulder. Despite his lack of experience with the team, he’s emerged as a much-needed defensive leader vocally and through his play on the field. 

“Guys lean on guys who are making plays,” Byard said postgame. “They lean on guys who are stepping up…I just want to show my teammates that I’m the guy they can count on in practice and in the games.”

If his six solo tackles (seven in total) weren’t enough, Byard hauled in a game-altering interception in the fourth quarter. 

While great in its own right, the context in which he secured the turnover makes it even more special. Earlier in the game, Byard suffered a broken hand on a tackle. 

This wasn’t his first rodeo, as Byard had suffered this same injury in his 2024 campaign at USF.

His response was invaluable to his team, as a quick tape job from his training staff was enough for him to re-enter the game. He pinned the arrant pass from Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht between his right hand and the club now fashioned on his left.

“For him to come back with a hurt hand and get a pick on the same drive he came back in,” Byard’s teammate Jeremiah Brown said postgame. “That just shows what he’s all about, and that just brought so much life to our defense.”

This ignited a fire under his team. For a squad that has struggled to close out games, this was the turning point they needed.

His desire to play after getting injured displayed his undeniable leadership qualities. However, those didn’t just surface on Saturday.

Byard took Colorado’s road loss to TCU personally, something that was evident in his post-game demeanor. 

He answered every question with passion-fueled rage in his voice and said that changes needed to be made on defense.

“Leaders, we’ve got to take it upon ourselves to do better in practice,” Byard said following that game. “It’s the same old stuff, we’ve just got to lock in on the little stuff.”

According to his teammates, he strived to make that change himself in practice leading up to the Buffs’ matchup with the Cyclones. 

“Accountability, that’s what it means to him,” Brown said. “The accountability throughout practice, he was getting on me, I was getting on him, we were getting on each other hard with no emotions involved.”

What this mentality meant to his teammates was difficult for them to put into words. But as it goes in football, the score of a game can do more justice to a player’s character than words ever could.