The ball, zipped over the middle Sunday at Ralph Wilson Stadium near Buffalo, was streaking toward Houston Texans Pro Bowl wide receiver Andre Johnson. Just as Johnson began to gather it in, it was ripped away from him.

The thief was Bills free safety Jairus Byrd, a rookie who is making a habit of pilfering balls intended for others. The interception was his seventh of the season, tied for the most in the NFL.

"He's just been sensational," Bills coach Dick Jauron told reporters. "He's clearly got skills that are not ordinary for this level, and he's using them."

Byrd's skills were on display here in 2003 and '04, when he was an all-purpose star — quarterback, free safety, punter, punt returner, kick returner — at Clayton High. His father was an assistant coach with the Rams at the time.

Gill Byrd, a first-round draft choice (No. 22 overall) in 1983, spent 10 years in the league as a cornerback for the San Diego Chargers. He was selected to two Pro Bowls and wound up with 42 career interceptions. But he never had more than seven in a season.

Jairus not only has equaled that total just eight games into his first year, he's only three interceptions short of the Bills' single-season record. He's also halfway to the NFL mark of 14, by Dick "Night Train" Lane of the Los Angeles Rams in 1952.

And if all that weren't impressive enough ...

Byrd has done his damage in just the last four games. He earned a starting spot in Week 3 and snared his first interception two Sundays later, Oct. 11 against Cleveland. He since picked off two passes each vs. the New York Jets, Carolina and Houston.

The 5-foot-10, 200-pound Byrd, 23, is the first rookie to record three multi-interception games in a row. The last time it was done by any NFL player was in 1960, by San Francisco safety Dave Baker.

"He just has great instincts for the ball," fellow Bills safety Bryan Scott said. "Whether it's an overthrown pass or a tipped pass, he's just in a position to make a play. You can't teach that."

No argument there from Byrd, who maintains that his ball-hawking ability is "just a gift. I can't really describe it or explain why. But it's definitely a blessing."

THE CLAYTON DAYS

Byrd already had put in two varsity seasons at Pulaski (Wis.) High — Gill Byrd was working for the Green Bay Packers then — before joining the Clayton roster and guiding the Greyhounds to a 9-0 start his junior year.

According to his father, Jairus was primed for prep stardom by older brother Gill II, now 25, a former defensive back at New Mexico State. "The way he pushed Jairus ... the competition they had growing up was intense," Gill Sr. said. "Jairus learned to stay up or get left behind."

It was the Greyhounds who got left behind, though, that season. Because his family lived outside the Clayton district — Jairus was attending through its tuition program — he was ruled ineligible.

Instead of readying for a playoff run, Clayton had to forfeit all nine wins. Byrd was crushed, but not so much for himself. He lamented that "all the seniors that worked that hard" were denied a shot at a state championship.

He brought Clayton that title the next year, after the family moved into the district. The Greyhounds went 13-1, wrapping up their first Class 4 crown with a 27-26 overtime victory over Webb City at the Edward Jones Dome.

Byrd, who threw for three touchdowns and ran for the other, looks back fondly on those days. "I had a blast at Clayton High," he said. "I met a lot of good people."

ON THE BIG STAGE

In three seasons as a cornerback at the University of Oregon, Byrd intercepted 17 passes and was an All-Pacific 10 Conference pick his final year. Buffalo took him in the second round (No. 42 overall) of the draft.

"I was very happy when we decided to draft him," Bills defensive coordinator Perry Fewell said, laughing. "I could only hope for that when he was in high school in St. Louis."

Fewell and Gill Byrd were close friends then, members of Mike Martz's staff. Fewell was the secondary coach and Byrd a defensive assistant.

Still, Fewell acknowledged that he never expected Jairus to make such a big splash. "We thought he had very good ball skills. But I don't know if you can ever see it coming, a guy playing at the level he's playing at right now," Fewell said. "He's been amazing."

Byrd's first task was switching back to safety from cornerback. "I've definitely had to learn different things: playing the run game, being more vocal, getting people lined up, communicating," he said. "It's been an adjustment, but the veterans have helped me along and made it smoother."

He also has learned the value of extensive preparation and exhaustive film review in breaking down opposing offenses and individuals' tendencies. "He's always been inquisitive," his father said.

Asked if he was surprised by his sudden impact, Byrd said, "Not really, to be totally honest. I don't really see a ceiling or a gauge on what I can do. I didn't know what to expect. But I knew that anything was possible."