MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Former Middle Tennessee football standout and NFL All-Pro safety Kevin Byard and legendary MTSU Track and Field Coach Dean A. Hayes were named to the Conference USA Hall of Fame Class of 2024, the league office announced on Monday. 

Byard and Hayes are the first two Blue Raiders to be inducted to the CUSA Hall of Fame, which inducted its first class in 2019. Byard is the first defensive player to enter the Hall of Fame. 

"Kevin Byard and Dean A. Hayes embodied the best qualities of being a Blue Raider during their time at MTSU," Director of Athletics Chris Massaro said. "Their awards and accomplishments in Conference USA speak for themselves, but all of us at Middle Tennessee know the character, the work ethic and the class these two men showed every day in Murfreesboro. It's a tremendous honor to have both be our institution's first inductees into the Conference USA Hall of Fame." 

Byard, a four-year starter for the Blue Raiders from 2012-15, finished his MTSU career as the program's all-time leader in interceptions (19), interception return yards (377), interception return touchdowns (4). He forced or gained 25 turnovers (19 INT, 5 FF, 1 FR) in 49 career games played. 

The Lithonia, Ga., native was a named First Team All-CUSA twice his career (2014 and 2015) and was a FWAA Freshman All-American in 2012. He was drafted in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans, where he was named first-team All-Pro in 2017 and 2021.  

A four-time CUSA Coach of the Year, Hayes won 11 CUSA titles during his time at the helm of the Track and Field program, six titles with men's teams and five with women's teams, including the final two titles his teams competed in prior to his passing in January 2022, sweeping the 2021 Conference USA Cross Country Championships. His student-athletes won 87 Conference USA individual titles and his Blue Raider teams were awarded Athlete of the Year awards 13 times during CUSA Track and Field Competition during Hayes' tenure at the program's helm.  

The Conference USA Hall of Fame is the ninth hall of fame Dean A. Hayes will be inducted into, joining the Blue Raider Hall of Fame (1982), the Illinois Sports Hall of Fame (1993), the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame (1994), the Mason-Dixon Athletic Club Hall of Fame (2005), the USTFCCCA Hall of Fame (2008), the Lake Forest College Hall of Fame (2009), the Naperville Hall of Fame (2019) and the Ohio Valley Conference Hall of Fame (2023). 

The league's Hall of Fame Committee selects the nominees and the league's Athletics Directors serve as the voting panel for the CUSA Hall of Fame. The inaugural class made its debut in 2019 with 20 student-athletes, three coaches and two administrators. Current and future CUSA Hall of Fame class size will be at least one inductee and a maximum of five per year. Nominees not selected in this class will remain on the ballot for future years.