WATCH: Remembering the inspirational tale of the late Dennis Byrd

With 90 days until the start of the regular season for the Jets, let's look back at the best player to ever wear No. 90 in franchise history: Dennis Byrd.

Byrd is one of five Jets to have their number retired.

A second round draft pick by the Jets in 1989, the defensive end recorded 28 sacks and a safety during his four seasons in the league. Byrd tallied a career-high 13 sacks in 1990 and appeared destined to have a long and productive time in New York.

However, Byrd's career was abruptly cut short when he became paralyzed during a collision with teammate Scott Mersereau on November 29, 1992 against the Chiefs. Byrd broke his neck by slamming his head into Mersereau's chest after quarterback David Krieg moved upward to avoid getting sacked.

Through vigorous physical therapy, Byrd eventually battled back to be able to walk again but his playing days were ruled over. Byrd heroically returned to the Meadowlands in 1993 for the Jets' home opener as an honorary captain and walked under his own power. At halftime of the game, Byrd was given the Most Inspirational Player Award, which would later be renamed the Dennis Byrd Award.

Byrd went on to share his story across the country as a motivational speaker.

The Jets' upset vs. the Patriots in the 2010 Divisional Round was fueled in part by Byrd, who sent the team his tattered jersey from his final game and an inspirational letter. The Jets carried Byrd's jersey for the coin toss and the rest is history.

In a touching moment, the Jets retired Byrd's jersey in 2012, twenty years after the injury that ended his career.

On October 15, 2016, Byrd was tragically killed at the age of 50 in a car accident in his home state of Oklahoma. The Jets honored Byrd by wearing decals of his No. 90 on their helmets for the rest of the 2016 season.

Byrd is no longer with us but his spirit of perseverance proudly lives on through a legacy Jets fans will never forget.