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Byrd was the second of four sons of Frank Carl Byrd (1909-1988), a native of Ajax in Nathitoches Parish, and Frank's second wife, the former Annie Laura Allen (1916-2000), a native of Hosston, north of Shreveport in Caddo Parish. She was the daughter of John Cook Allen (1886-1916) and the former Martha Amanda Wynn (1886-1978). Annie's father died twenty-four days after her birth; her mother was a widow for sixty-two years.<ref name=osbornf>{{cite web|url=http://www.osbornfuneralhome.net/home/index.cfm/obituaries/view/fh_id/10282/id/3675208|title=Jerry Byrd|publisher=Osborn Funeral Home|accessdate=April 24, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/frank-carl-byrd_104288159|title=Frank Carl Allen|publisher=ancestry.com|accessdate=April 24, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/annie-laura-allen_100361130|title=Annie Laura Allen|publisher=ancestry.com|accessdate=April 24, 2016}}</ref>

Byrd was the second of four sons of Frank Carl Byrd (1909-1988), a native of Ajax in Nathitoches Parish, and Frank's second wife, the former Annie Laura Allen (1916-2000), a native of Hosston, north of Shreveport in Caddo Parish. She was the daughter of John Cook Allen (1886-1916) and the former Martha Amanda Wynn (1886-1978). Annie's father died twenty-four days after her birth; her mother was a widow for sixty-two years.<ref name=osbornf>{{cite web|url=http://www.osbornfuneralhome.net/home/index.cfm/obituaries/view/fh_id/10282/id/3675208|title=Jerry Byrd|publisher=Osborn Funeral Home|accessdate=April 24, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/frank-carl-byrd_104288159|title=Frank Carl Allen|publisher=ancestry.com|accessdate=April 24, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/annie-laura-allen_100361130|title=Annie Laura Allen|publisher=ancestry.com|accessdate=April 24, 2016}}</ref>

Jerry Byrd was born in 1935 at Schumpert Hospital in Shreveport<ref name=jwatson/> with a cleft lip and palate. He hence stuttered and for many years avoided public speaking. His first newspaper entry was a letter to the editor of ''The Shreveport Journal'', then Douglas Attaway, Sr., published in December 1948,  in which he discusses his recent [[Boy Scouts of America|Boy Scouts]] camping trip.<ref name=services/> He first attended C. E. Byrd High School in Shreveport and Bossier High School in Bossier City before he transferred for the eleventh grade to the since defunct Fair Park High School, at which he received more assistance to overcome his speech difficulties. He became the sports editor of the student newspaper, ''The Pow Wow'', and graduated in May 1953 from Fair Park, located near the grounds of the Louisiana State Fair.<ref name=osbornf/> With the help of Antoinetta Tuminello, his journalism teacher at Fair Park, he began his eventual mastery of sports writing.<ref name=nvthyn/> He was subsequently sports editor of the Northwestern State University ''Current Sauce'' college newspaper. He managed the NSU Demons [[basketball]] team coached by future 1969 Louisiana Sports Hall of Famer "Red" Thomas.<ref name=services>{{cite web|url=http://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/sports/2016/04/22/services-set-legendary-sportswriter-jerry-byrd/83406852/|title=Services set for legendary sportswriter Jerry Byrd|publisher=''The Shreveport Times''|accessdate=April 22, 2016}}</ref> His NSU colleagues called Byrd "Tweety" after the [[Walt Disney]] [[cartoon]] character. He had a visibly large head and was bald most of his adult life.<ref name=nvthyn>{{cite web|url=http://nvanthyn.blogspot.com/2012/06/legendary-man-mr-byrd.html|title=Once a Knight: The legendary man, Mr. Byrd|date=June 8, 2012|author=Nico Van Thyn|publisher=nvanthyn.blogsport.com|accessdate=April 22, 2016}}</ref>

Jerry Byrd was born in 1935 at Schumpert Hospital in Shreveport<ref name=jwatson/> with a cleft lip and palate. He hence stuttered and for many years avoided public speaking. His first newspaper entry was a letter to the editor of ''The Shreveport Journal'', then [[Douglas Attaway]], Sr., published in December 1948,  in which he discusses his recent [[Boy Scouts of America|Boy Scouts]] camping trip.<ref name=services/> He first attended C. E. Byrd High School in Shreveport and Bossier High School in Bossier City before he transferred for the eleventh grade to the since defunct Fair Park High School, at which he received more assistance to overcome his speech difficulties. He became the sports editor of the student newspaper, ''The Pow Wow'', and graduated in May 1953 from Fair Park, located near the grounds of the Louisiana State Fair.<ref name=osbornf/> With the help of Antoinetta Tuminello, his journalism teacher at Fair Park, he began his eventual mastery of sports writing.<ref name=nvthyn/> He was subsequently sports editor of the Northwestern State University ''Current Sauce'' college newspaper. He managed the NSU Demons [[basketball]] team coached by future 1969 Louisiana Sports Hall of Famer "Red" Thomas.<ref name=services>{{cite web|url=http://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/sports/2016/04/22/services-set-legendary-sportswriter-jerry-byrd/83406852/|title=Services set for legendary sportswriter Jerry Byrd|publisher=''The Shreveport Times''|accessdate=April 22, 2016}}</ref> His NSU colleagues called Byrd "Tweety" after the [[Walt Disney]] [[cartoon]] character. He had a visibly large head and was bald most of his adult life.<ref name=nvthyn>{{cite web|url=http://nvanthyn.blogspot.com/2012/06/legendary-man-mr-byrd.html|title=Once a Knight: The legendary man, Mr. Byrd|date=June 8, 2012|author=Nico Van Thyn|publisher=nvanthyn.blogsport.com|accessdate=April 22, 2016}}</ref>

In 1965, Byrd married the former Patricia “Pat” Ann Hood. Their two children are Tricia Hagan and Jerry Byrd, Jr. (born January 1973), an educator, and his wife, Amanda, of Shreveport. After Pat's death in 2001, Byrd was reunited in June 2003 with Barbara Crouch Copeland (born November 1934), whom he had known from Fair Park High School from 1952 to 1953. The couple wed two months later. Byrd's brothers are Ronald James Byrd and wife, Donna; John Alan Byrd (born February 1940) and wife, Delaine, of Shreveport; and Thomas Everett Byrd and wife, Kay.<ref name=osbornf/>

In 1965, Byrd married the former Patricia “Pat” Ann Hood. Their two children are Tricia Hagan and Jerry Byrd, Jr. (born January 1973), an educator, and his wife, Amanda, of Shreveport. After Pat's death in 2001, Byrd was reunited in June 2003 with Barbara Crouch Copeland (born November 1934), whom he had known from Fair Park High School from 1952 to 1953. The couple wed two months later. Byrd's brothers are Ronald James Byrd and wife, Donna; John Alan Byrd (born February 1940) and wife, Delaine, of Shreveport; and Thomas Everett Byrd and wife, Kay.<ref name=osbornf/>

    

    

==At the sports desk==

==At the sports desk==