Micah Hyde

Micah Richmond Hyde (born December 31, 1990) is an American footballsafety for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Iowa and was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Hyde had a big role in the Packers' Nickel defense packages, but has emerged as a starting safety for the Bills since signing with them in 2017.

Hyde was born in Fostoria, Ohio, and attended Fostoria High School where he lettered in three sports: baseball, basketball and football. On the gridiron, he was a team captain during his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons with the team. As a junior, Hyde earned northern Ohio first-team honors as a quarterback, defensive back, and place kicker. He was also named honorable mention as a punter. He was additionally named a first team defensive back and quarterback in his senior year.He also earned first-team all-conference basketball and baseball honors and averaged 22 points a game in basketball during his time there. During his career, he had 165 tackles, eight interceptions and seven defended passes as a cornerback. As a quarterback, he had 549 rushing attempts for 3,443 yards and 46 touchdowns and also completed 606 out of 997 passes for 7,864 yards and 65 touchdowns. Hyde broke 17 school records, including those for touchdown passes in a season and a career.

Hyde was also a standout baseball player growing up and won a USSSA State Championship in 2003 as a member of the Findlay Explosion, a team that also included Aaron Craft.

Hyde was heavily recruited coming out of high school and received scholarship offers from numerous schools including Iowa, Ball State, Bowling Green, Miami (OH), Ohio, and Toledo. He was ranked as a two-star dual-threat quarterback by Rivals.com He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds, had a 3.2 grade point average at Fostoria and scored a 20 on his ACT.

Hyde ultimately decided to play for the Iowa Hawkeyes and competed mainly on special teams and on a defense that held 11 players that would go on to be drafted into the NFL. He received his first college playing time in a game against Northern Iowa and contributed one tackle on special teams. He also appeared against the Michigan Wolverines and recorded two tackles.

During his sophomore year, Hyde played a much more expanded role on defense and started all 13 games at cornerback. He made his first big impact in a game against the Ball State Cardinals, where he forced a fumble and intercepted a pass. Later in the season when the Hawkeyes played Michigan State, Hyde scored his first touchdown on a lateral from teammate Tyler Sash late in the first quarter. He finished the season with a career-high in tackles with 82, 58 of them solo, with 4 interceptions. His performance led to him being named as an honorable mention to the All-Big Ten team.

After the successes of his second year, Hyde was rotated between free safety and cornerback during spring practice and started the first two games at safety. He was moved back to cornerback against Pittsburgh and had two interceptions, the second winning the game for the Hawkeyes as it allowed them to run the clock out. He finished the year with 72 tackles (1.5 for loss), 3 interceptions, and a forced fumble. He was named an honorable mention to the All-Big Ten team.

In his final year with the Hawkeyes, Hyde was named a first-team All-Big Ten selection and also won the Tatum-Woodson Award, annually given to the best defensive back in the conference. He finished his career starting every game for three consecutive seasons. He finished his senior year with 78 tackles, 14 defensed passes, an interception, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

Hyde was one of 60 defensive backs to attend the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana and performed all of the combine drills. On March 25, 2013, Hyde attended Iowa's Pro Day and ran positional drills. He attempted to perform better in multiple combine drills,but was only able to lower his time in the three-cone drill (6.67s). He was projected to be a sixth round pick by NFL draft experts and scouts. He was also ranked the 25th best cornerback prospect in the draft by DraftScout.com.

Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers selected Hyde in the fifth round (159th overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft. He was the 23rd cornerback selected in 2013. It was speculated by draft analysts and media members that his fall from the fifth round was in part due to his past arrest (see Personal life).

2013 season

On May 10, 2013, the Green Bay Packers signed Hyde to a four-year, $2.33 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $178,108.

Throughout training camp, Hyde competed to be a backup cornerback against Casey Hayward, Davon House, Jarrett Bush, and James Nixon. Head coach Mike McCarthy named Hyde the fifth cornerback on the Packers' depth chart to start the regular season, behind Sam Shields, Tramon Williams, Casey Hayward, and Davon House. He was also selected to be a backup punt and kick returner by special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum.

He made his professional regular season debut in the Green Bay Packers' season-opener at the San Francisco 49ers and recorded four combined tackles during their 34–28 loss. Hyde recorded his first career tackle on wide receiver Anquan Boldin after a nine-yard reception in the first quarter. Hyde was promoted to first-team nickelback after Casey Hayward aggravated a hamstring injury during their third preseason game and was sidelined for the first seven regular season games. In Week 5, Hyde returned the first punt of his career for a two-yard gain before being tackled by Don Carey in the third quarter of the Packers' 22–9 win against the Detroit Lions. On October 13, 2013, Hyde recorded a season-high seven combined tackles and made his first career sack on quarterback Joe Flacco during a 19–17 victory at the Baltimore Ravens in Week 6. On October 27, 2013, he made six combined tackles and returned a punt for a 93-yard touchdown during a 44–31 victory at the Minnesota Vikings. His touchdown marked the first score of his career and occurred in the second quarter off a 53-yard punt by Jeff Locke. On December 22, 2013, Hyde earned his first career start and recorded six combined tackles during a 38–31 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16. He also returned five kicks for 167-yards during their matchup against the Steelers. Hyde finished his rookie season with 55 combined tackles (41 solo), two pass deflections, and a sack in 16 games and three starts. As a returner, he finished the season with 22 kick returns (24.14 YPR) for 531-yards and 24 punt returns for 296-yards (12.33 YPR) and a touchdown.

The Green Bay Packers finished the season atop the NFC North with an 8–7–1 record. On January 5, 2014, Hyde appeared in his first career playoff game and collected five combined tackles and a pass deflection in the Packers' 23–20 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Wildcard Game.

2014 season

During organized team activities, Hyde began to transition to free safety. Head coach Mike McCarthy opted to change his position due to the Packers lack of depth at safety after the departure of M. D. Jennings to the Chicago Bears in free agency. Throughout training camp, Hyde competed against rookie first round pick Ha Ha Clinton-Dix for the job as the starting free safety. Defensive coordinator Dom Capers named Hyde the starting free safety to start the regular season, opposite strong safety Morgan Burnett. He also remained the backup kick and punt returner for the season.

He started the Green Bay Packers' season-opener at the Seattle Seahawks and made five combined tackles in their 36–16 loss. On October 26, 2014, Hyde recorded a season-high seven combined tackles during a 44–23 loss at the New Orleans Saints in Week 8. In Week 10, Hyde made a season-high two pass deflections, a tackle, and his first career interception in the Packers' 55–14 victory against the Chicago Bears. His interception occurred in the first quarter off a pass by quarterback Jay Cutler and was originally intended for tight end Martellus Bennett. On November 16, 2014, Hyde collected four solo tackles, broke up a pass, and returned a punt by Donnie Jones for a 95-yard touchdown during a 53–20 victory against the Philadelphia Eagles. On November 23, 2014, he made four solo tackles, a pass deflection, a sack, and intercepted a pass by Teddy Bridgewater during a 24–21 win at the Minnesota Vikings. He finished the season with 59 combined tackles (45 solo), seven pass deflections, two interceptions, and a sack in 16 games and 12 starts. Hyde also had 14 punt returns for 221 yards and two touchdowns in 2014.

The Green Bay Packers finished first in their division with a 12–4 record and went on to defeat the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Divisional Round. On January 18, 2015, Hyde made his first start in a playoff game and made a tackle during a 28–22 loss at the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game.

2015 season

During training camp, Hyde competed against Casey Hayward to be the Packers' starting nickelback. He was named the backup free safety, behind Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, and the starting nickelback to begin the regular season.

He started at strong safety in the season-opener and for four other games (Weeks 3–6) after Morgan Burnett sustained a calf injury. On October 18, 2015, Hyde recorded a season-high nine combined tackles and a pass deflection during a 27–20 victory against the San Diego Chargers. Hyde was inactive for the Packers' Week 12 loss to the Chicago Bears due to a hip injury. He finished the 2015 season with 55 combined tackles (51 solo), six pass deflections, three interceptions, and a sack in 15 games and seven starts. Hyde also returned eight kicks for 187-yards and 27 punts for 157-yards.

The Green Bay Packers finished second in the NFC North with a 10-6 record. On January 10, 2016, Hyde made eight combined tackles and a pass deflection in the Packers' 35–18 victory at the Washington Redskins in the NFC Wildcard Game. The Packers were eliminated from the playoffs after losing 26–20 at the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Divisional Round the following week.

2016 season

Head coach Mike McCarthy named Hyde the No. 1 nickelback and backup strong safety, behind Morgan Burnett, to start the 2016 regular season.

In Week 3, he started at strong safety after Morgan Burnett was declared inactive due to a groin injury. In his place, Hyde recorded a season-high 11 combined tackles (eight solo) during a 34–27 loss to the Detroit Lions. On December 18, 2016, Hyde recorded a season-high three pass deflections, three solo tackles, and intercepted a pass by Jay Cutler in the Packers' 30–27 victory at the Chicago Bears. He finished the 2016 season with 58 combined tackles (47 solo), nine pass deflections, three interceptions, and a sack in 16 games and 11 starts. He received an overall grade of 73.9 from Pro Football Focus and ranked 53rd among qualified safeties.

The Green Bay Packers finished atop the NFC North with a 10–6 record. On January 8, 2017, Hyde made seven combined tackles and a pass deflection during a 36–13 victory against the New York Giants in the NFC Wildcard Game. The following week, he recorded four solo tackles, two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass by Dak Prescott during a 34–31 victory against the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Divisional Round. The Green Bay Packers were eliminated after losing 44–21 to the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship Game.

After the 2016 season, Hyde became an unrestricted free agent. Packers' general manager Ted Thompson neglected to make Hyde a contract offer and later apologized for not being able to work out a deal. He was named as one of the most overlooked free agents on the market and was named one of the top sleeper free agents. It was reported by NFL analyst Ian Rapoport that Hyde had received two strong offers.

Buffalo Bills

On March 9, 2017, the Buffalo Bills signed Hyde to a five-year, $30.50 million contract that includes $14 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $8 million.

2017

Head coach Sean McDermott named Hyde the starting strong safety to begin the regular season, along with free safety Jordan Poyer.

He made his Buffalo Bills regular season debut in their season-opener against the New York Jets and recorded three solo tackles, broke up a pass, and intercepted a pass by Josh McCown in the 21–12 victory. On October 1, 2017, Hyde made seven combined tackles, two pass deflections, and intercepted two passes by Matt Ryan during a 23–17 win at the Atlanta Falcons. It marked Hyde's first time intercepting multiple passes in a single game. In Week 8, he recorded five solo tackles, a pass deflection, and intercepted a pass by Derek Carr in the Bills' 34–14 win against the Oakland Raiders. On November 2, 2017, Hyde was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Month for October after making four interceptions in the last four games. On December 3, 2017, he collected a career-high 12 combined tackles (ten solo) and a pass deflection during a 23–3 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 13. On December 19, 2017, it was announced that Hyde was voted to the 2018 Pro Bowl, marking the first time he received the honor. He finished his first season with the Buffalo Bills with 82 combined tackles (65 solo), 13 pass deflections, and five interceptions in 16 games and 16 starts. He set new career-highs in all four statistical categories. Pro Football Focus gave Hyde an overall grade of 86.2, ranking 14th among all qualified safeties in 2017. Hyde and Poyer were one of the highest graded safety duos in 2017 and were considered as possibly the best tandem in the league by many NFL analysts and media members. He was ranked 62nd by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.

The Buffalo Bills finished second in the AFC East with a 9–7 record and received a wildcard berth. On January 7, 2018, Hyde recorded four solo tackles before exiting the Bills' 10–3 loss at the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth quarter after sustaining a concussion.

2018

Hyde started 15 games at safety in 2018, missing one game due to a groin injury. He finished the season with 2 interceptions, 58 combined tackles, 5 passes defensed and a fumble recovery. He also saw significant time as a punt returner. Despite his statistically quiet season, the Bills finished with the league's second-ranked pass defense.

2019

In week 4 against the New England Patriots, Hyde intercepted Tom Brady in the end zone. Other notable plays in Hyde's 2019 season included returning an onside kick for a touchdown to clinch a 31–21 Bills win over the Miami Dolphins in week 7, and a fumble recovery in the week 16 rematch against the Patriots.

Regular season

Postseason

Hyde has an older brother named Marcus who played safety for Michigan State's football team from 2006-2010.

On October 5, 2012, Hyde was arrested for public intoxication and interference with official acts by the Iowa City Police Department. It was reported that Hyde and a group of 15 people declined to leave Old Capitol Brew Works after staff asked multiple times around closing. After Iowa City Policearrived, Hyde and a group of friends were pointed out by staff as some of the subjects involved in the disturbance. Police confronted the group, but their commands to stop and flashing lights were ignored by the group and they all fled on foot. Hyde was apprehended two blocks away and police claimed he had bloodshot eyes and multiple signs of impairment. He was arrested and lodged in Johnson County Jail until he bonded out at 11AM. He appeared in court two days later and pled guilty to interfering with an official and paid a $397.50 fine. He pled not guilty to the charge of public intoxication and was given a new court date.

On December 9, 2012, Hyde was charged with disorderly conduct after Iowa City Police arrived at his apartment building due to complaints of a loud party on the top floor of the building. He was not arrested, but was cited for misdemeanor disorderly conduct and given a court date.