Stephen Boyd (football player)
Encyclopedia
Stephen Gerard Boyd is a former American football
linebacker
who played in the National Football League
. He was a two time Pro Bowl
selection at middle linebacker for the Detroit Lions
. He was selected in the fifth round of the 1995 NFL Draft
out of Boston College
, the 141st selection, where he started for four seasons.
for Valley Stream Central High School
(Valley Stream, NY) for Coach Dan Tronolone, where he led the Eagles to the 1989 Nassau County
Conference II Championship. In 1994 he was elected the ECAC Player of the Year. As a senior at Boston College, he was invited to play in the 1994 East-West Shrine Game
and the 1994 Hula Bowl
.
in the NFL, he backed up legendary All-Pro
middle linebacker Chris Spielman
. When Spielman left the Lions for the Buffalo Bills
in 1996, Boyd became the starter
and an integral part of the defense for the next six seasons. In 1997, Boyd paced the Lions with 192 tackles
leading Detroit to the NFC Wild Card game for the second time in three seasons. He was named the NFC
Defensive Player of the Week (8/31) in the season opener when he scored his first career touchdown
on a 42 yard fumble
recovery, and set up the game winning TD with his first career interception
. He also led the team with 15 tackles that game.
in four games. He was named the first alternate at middle linebacker on the NFC's Pro Bowl
squad, and would have played in the game if he had not been recovering from a shoulder injury.
Boyd recorded 18 tackles and returned his first post-season interception for five yards. He was also named to his first Pro Bowl as a starter for the NFC as middle linebacker.
Pro Bowl, and was also named All-Pro Second Team and All-NFC for second straight season by Football News.
and is the head coach
of Chaminade High School
football in Mineola, New York
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
who played in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was a two time Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
selection at middle linebacker for the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
. He was selected in the fifth round of the 1995 NFL Draft
1995 NFL Draft
The 1995 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 22–23, 1995 at the Paramount Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City...
out of Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
, the 141st selection, where he started for four seasons.
Early years
Boyd played his high school footballHigh school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
for Valley Stream Central High School
Valley Stream Central High School
Valley Stream Central High School is a public senior high school in the village of Valley Stream, New York in southwest Nassau County. It is part of the Valley Stream Central High School District.-Principals:A list of school principals:...
(Valley Stream, NY) for Coach Dan Tronolone, where he led the Eagles to the 1989 Nassau County
Nassau County, New York
Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
Conference II Championship. In 1994 he was elected the ECAC Player of the Year. As a senior at Boston College, he was invited to play in the 1994 East-West Shrine Game
East-West Shrine Game
The East–West Shrine Game is an annual post-season college football all-star game played each January since 1925. The game is sponsored by the fraternal group Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and the net proceeds are earmarked to some of the Shrine's charitable works, most notably the Shriners...
and the 1994 Hula Bowl
Hula Bowl
The Hula Bowl was an independently administered post-season invitational college football game held each year in Hawaii from 1947 to 2008. The game was last played at Aloha Stadium in the Hālawa district of Honolulu, Hawaii. At one point the longest-running sporting event in Hawaii, it had been...
.
1995-1997
As a rookieRookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
in the NFL, he backed up legendary All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
middle linebacker Chris Spielman
Chris Spielman
Charles Christopher "Chris" Spielman is a former American football player and is currently an analyst for ESPN's coverage of college football games.-Football career:...
. When Spielman left the Lions for the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1996, Boyd became the starter
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
and an integral part of the defense for the next six seasons. In 1997, Boyd paced the Lions with 192 tackles
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
leading Detroit to the NFC Wild Card game for the second time in three seasons. He was named the NFC
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
Defensive Player of the Week (8/31) in the season opener when he scored his first career touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
on a 42 yard fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
recovery, and set up the game winning TD with his first career interception
Interception (football)
An interception, intercept or pick is a move in many forms of football, including Canadian and American football, as well as rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football and Gaelic football, which involves a pass, either by foot or hand, being caught by an opposition player, who usually...
. He also led the team with 15 tackles that game.
1998
In 1998, Boyd led the Lions with 156 tackles, despite missing the last three games of the season with a shoulder injury. He was named the NFC Player of the Month for November when he compiled 56 tackles and two sacksQuarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
in four games. He was named the first alternate at middle linebacker on the NFC's Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
squad, and would have played in the game if he had not been recovering from a shoulder injury.
1999
In 1999, Boyd led the team in tackles for the third straight season with 188. He was also named to the All-Madden team for the first time in his career. In a Wild Card loss to the Washington RedskinsWashington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
Boyd recorded 18 tackles and returned his first post-season interception for five yards. He was also named to his first Pro Bowl as a starter for the NFC as middle linebacker.
2000
In 2000, Boyd led the Lions for the fourth consecutive year with 166 tackles. He recorded 10 double-digit tackle outings in the 15 games that he played. He was named to his second consecutive Associated PressAssociated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
Pro Bowl, and was also named All-Pro Second Team and All-NFC for second straight season by Football News.
2001
Boyd retired in May 2002 after playing in only 4 games in the 2001 season due to chronic back pain.Post-playing career
He currently resides in Long Beach, New YorkLong Beach, New York
Long Beach is a city in Nassau County, New York. Just south of Long Island, it is located on Long Beach Barrier Island, which is the westernmost of the outer barrier islands off Long Island's South Shore. As of the United States 2010 Census, the city population was 33,275...
and is the head coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
of Chaminade High School
Chaminade High School
Chaminade High School is a Roman Catholic college preparatory high school for young men. Located in Mineola, New York, the school was founded in 1930 by the Society of Mary , an international Roman Catholic teaching order of priests and religious Brothers. The school is named for Father William...
football in Mineola, New York
Mineola, New York
Mineola is a village in Nassau County, New York, USA. The population was 18,799 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from a Native American word meaning a "pleasant place"....
.