Health issues have cost Wake Forest depth in its defensive secondary.
Wake officials confirmed this week that Arkeem Byrd has been medically disqualified by team doctors, ending his collegiate playing career for the Demon Deacons. While Byrd won’t play another down for the school, he will assist the Wake coaching staff, specifically working with the team’s defensive backs.
“He is now Coach Byrd,” head coach Dave Clawson said by way of the Winston-Salem Journal. “So he’ll be similar to the way that A’Lique Terry was or Elontae Bateman was, that he’ll be a student coach, he’ll travel with us, he’s going to help in the secondary and he’ll still be a part of the program.”
Arkeem Byrd has indeed been medically disqualified. He's already transitioned into basically being a student coach and will help coach DBs and travel with the team.
— Conor O'Neill (@ConorONeill_DI) April 2, 2019
Byrd, a three-star 2016 signee, began his collegiate playing career as a running back, rushing for 395 yards and a touchdown on 77 carries as a redshirt freshman in 2017. In the spring of 2018, Byrd moved to defensive back; however, a serious knee injury sidelined him for the entire season last year.
