Dominique Byrd attended Breck High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Breck was primarily comprised of students who came from wealthy families although Dominique grew up in a rough area. He was a three-sport athlete in high school, playing football, basketball, and running track. He had been a starter on the school’s basketball team since his 8th grade year. As a senior he averaged 17.3 points per game and was named third team all-American. In football, Dominique was a linebacker on defense and played some receiver but was primarily a tight end on offense. As a junior he totaled 56 receptions for 1,280 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also had 109 tackles on defense. As a senior he caught 62 passes for 1,236 yards and 25 touchdowns. As a linebacker he totaled 108 tackles, 4 sacks, and 4 interceptions. He was named all-American for his play as a senior. Dominique finished his four year career with 147 receptions for 3,008 yards and 49 touchdowns. He accepted a scholarship to USC where he served primarily as a backup tight end and special teams player his freshman season. As a sophomore, Dominique started the first six games of the season while Alex Holmes was injured. He caught 14 passes for 268 yards and 1 touchdown during that six game span. He then tore ligaments in his left knee against Stanford which sidelined Byrd for the remainder of the season. He missed practices the following spring recovering from his knee injury. Just prior to the 2004 season, Byrd broke his left kneecap playing basketball. The injury sidelined him for the first four games of the season. Byrd returned to start the final nine games, catching 37 passes for 384 yards and 3 touchdowns. He earned honorable mention all-pac ten honors for his performance. He had arthroscopic surgery to remove torn cartilage in his toe after the season; he then missed spring practice due to a broken jaw he received during a fight with receiver Steve Smith. Byrd finished his senior season with 29 receptions for 306 yards.

Dominique Byrd is a player who does just about everything well at the tight end position. He lacks elite speed but has enough to gain separation from defenders. He runs precise routes and is an excellent short to intermediate range target. He has soft hands and will make some tough catches. Once he has the ball he is strong enough to break tackles and gain additional yardage. He is a good run blocker who knows his assignments and how to use angles to his advantage. The biggest problem with Byrd is his injury history and character concerns. He was plagued by injuries throughout his career at USC, including a broken jaw he suffered in a fight with teammate Steve Smith last year. Dominique Byrd is a solid all-around tight end who has first day talent. However, his injury problems and questionable character could push him back to the fourth round of the 2006 NFL draft.