Keith Traylor

Byron Keith Traylor (born September 3, 1969) is a former American football nose tackle who played 17 seasons in the National Football League (NFL).

Keith Traylor was born September 3, 1969, into an athletic family.

His mother, Vernestine, was a standout high school basketball player before giving birth to him at age seventeen, and his two younger brothers played college football and basketball, respectively.

Traylor was a two-time all-state and all-conference linebacker at Malvern High School in Malvern, Arkansas.

He also excelled in basketball and baseball, earning all-state and all-conference honors in both sports.

Traylor was named Player of the Decade for the 1980s by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and is second in state history for tackles in a season, amassing 231 tackles in 1985.

Traylor, who was considered one of the top ten players in the country as a senior, was one of several highly rated high school football players in Arkansas during the mid-1980s, including Little Rock Parkview's Keith Jackson and Pine Bluff High School's Eric Mitchell.

After finishing high school as a two-time All-American, Traylor originally signed with the Oklahoma Sooners.

A 6-3, 250 pound linebacker who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.57 seconds, assistant coach Merv Johnson called Traylor a "tremendous physical specimen," and an "exciting, high-profile recruit."

Academic problems forced Traylor to leave Oklahoma after only four months, going first to Southeastern Oklahoma State University, in Durant, Oklahoma under head coach Morris Sloan, before eventually settling at the University of Central Oklahoma.

Traylor began his collegiate career at Coffeyville Community College in Coffeyville, Kansas where he played two seasons (1987–88) under head coach Dick Foster.

He was named Honorable Mention All-American as a freshman, and was a 1st Team All-American as a sophomore.

In two seasons at Coffeyville he totalled 229 tackles, 14 sacks, and 9 interceptions.

Traylor transferred and played two seasons at the University of Central Oklahoma.

He amassed 146 tackles, five sacks, two interceptions, three forced fumbles and a pair of fumble recoveries at Central Oklahoma.

He was a first-team All-Lone Star Conference selection as a senior when he posted 79 tackles, five sacks, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

He was originally drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1991 NFL Draft.

He played college football at Central Oklahoma.

Traylor has won a total of three Super Bowl rings; he won two with the Denver Broncos and one with the New England Patriots.

Traylor was projected to be one of the top thirty prospects leading up to the 1991 NFL Draft, but was not selected until the Denver Broncos picked him in the third-round (61st pick overall).

He played in all 16 regular season games for the Broncos as a rookie, making two starts and recording 27 tackles.

His first start of NFL career came against the Seattle Seahawks on September 15, 1991, when he opened at an inside linebacker spot in place of the injured Michael Brooks.

Traylor responded with nine tackles in the game.

He also started the following week against the San Diego Chargers and recorded ten tackles.

He saw action in both playoff games following the season in a reserve role.

During the playoffs, he saw some time at fullback in goal line situations.

Following the season, he was named to the All-Rookie Team by Pro Football Weekly and Football Digest.

Traylor started three of the 16 games in which he played with the Broncos in 1992.

He collected 39 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble.

The first sack of his professional career occurred against the Seahawks on December 20, when he tackled quarterback Stan Gelbaugh for a 14-yard loss.

Traylor was waived by the Broncos in June 1993.

Traylor signed with the Los Angeles Raiders on July 19, 1993 but was released just over a month later.

He signed with the Green Bay Packers on September 14 and played in five games with the team, all in a reserve role.

He was also inactive for one game with the Packers.

Traylor was released on November 9.

Traylor remained a free agent until being signed by the Kansas City Chiefs on January 5, 1994.

He was inactive for the team's first-round playoff game and was waived the following week.

He was re-signed by the Chiefs in May 1994, but was released by the team on August 28 during final cutdowns and spent the entire season out of football.

Traylor was once again re-signed by the Chiefs on February 28, 1995.

On October 18, 2006, Traylor was named one of the top 75 players and coaches in the history of the Lone Star Conference to commemorate the conference's 75th anniversary.