Bernard redshirted his true freshman season at Baylor.[2] He played in 11 games as a redshirt freshman and recorded 47 tackles with one sack and one interception.[3] Bernard became a starter as a redshirt sophomore and was named second team All-Big 12 Conference after leading the Bears with 112 tackles and also recording 4.5 sacks, three fumble recoveries, and one interception.[4] He repeated as a second team All-Big 12 selection in 2020 after recording 55 tackles through five games before suffering a season ending injury.[5] Bernard was named first team All-Conference as a redshirt senior after recording 106 tackles with 12.5 for loss and 7.5 sacks.[6] Bernard was named the 2022 Sugar Bowl MVP after posting 20 tackles and 2 sacks vs. Ole Miss.
Despite missing much of 2023 preseason due to an injury, Bernard was named the starting inside linebacker to replace Tremaine Edmunds prior to the season.[10] In Week 3 of the 2023 season, Bernard recorded seven tackles, two sacks, a fumble recovery and an interception in a 37–3 win over the Washington Commanders, earning AFC Defensive Player of the Week.[11] In his first season as starter, Bernard played all 17 regular season games, leading the Bills in tackles while also becoming the first linebacker in the league since 1991 to put up at least six sacks, three interceptions and three fumble recoveries in the same season.[12] Head coach Sean McDermott later named Bernard his breakout player on the team after the season.[13]
In the playoffs, Bernard injured his ankle in the wild card round against the Pittsburgh Steelers and was carted off the field.[14] While Buffalo would advance to the divisional round against the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, Bernard was ruled out due to the injury,[15] and Buffalo lost 27–24 without him and several other defensive starters on the field.[16]
Bernard was named one of just two team captains for the Bills the following year along with quarterback Josh Allen, with Bernard representing the defense.[17] He suffered a strained pectoral muscle in Buffalo's week 2 win over the Miami Dolphins,[18] missing the next two games. In his return against the Houston Texans, Bernard made two key defensive plays, stuffing a fourth-down attempt by Houston in the second quarter and intercepting a pass intended by C. J. Stroud for former Bills receiver Stefon Diggs in the fourth quarter, but Buffalo still lost by a last-second field goal 23–20.[19] In week 11 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Bernard made a game-winning interception against Patrick Mahomes, ending Kansas City’s hopes of an undefeated season.[20]
^Parrino, Matt (January 22, 2024). "Bills lose to Chiefs (again) in playoff heartbreaker as kick goes wide right (Observations)". syracuse. Retrieved March 2, 2024. Buffalo was down multiple starters on defense, including middle linebacker Terrel Bernard and cornerback Christian Benford -- and it showed. The Chiefs couldn't be stopped, scoring on five of their first six possessions.
