Saturday, August 30, 2008
While Madisonville-North Hopkins kicks off the 2008 season in the Browning Bowl today, one of the program’s most notable alumni will be taking on the Big Ten’s Indiana Hoosiers.
As a junior linebacker for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers’ football team, Blake Boyd, a 2005 North grad, has developed into one of the team’s defensive leaders after directing many successful drives at quarterback for the Maroons.
“I definitely feel like I’ve become more of a leader as I’ve been here,” Boyd said. “I tried to always be as much of a leader as I can in the past, but now I’m trying to take some of the underclassmen under my wing, get in and watch extra film with them.”
North assistant coach Mike Quinn, in his 13th year with the Maroons, said Boyd’s determination and speed caught Western’s eye, and that also allowed him to make the full transition to defense.
“He played hard every play,” Quinn said. “He loved to hit, and I think they saw him as strong as he was and as big as he was, he could play that outside linebacker position there at Western and cover the areas for the zones, the flats, and also be aggressive to take on a blocker.”
Last season, Boyd started the first nine games for Western before he tore his ACL and MCL, shutting him down the rest of the way.
Despite the injury, Boyd finished fifth on the team with 47 tackles.
Following the season, Boyd sat out the spring but was cleared for summer practice and has been available throughout camp.
“My body’s been doing well, and my knee has healed completely,” Boyd said. “I haven’t had any problems.
We have a real good strength and conditioning program. The training staff has me going in the right direction.”
Now, Boyd and the Hilltoppers enter the 2008 season in the second and final transition year of becoming a full member of the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision.
During Boyd’s first year with Western the team played as a I-AA team, and although he said he enjoyed playing in both divisions, there are noticeable differences.
“It was a great atmosphere then, family atmosphere, good teams playing good competition,” he said. “To move up to the next level that’s even more amazing. It’s great. We still have the family atmosphere.
“We’re getting a lot more publicity, a lot more people are starting to jump on the bandwagon, and we just have to learn how to handle it and just go out there and prove to people what we can do.”
As the team makes its transition to the next level, the Hilltoppers have had to prove themselves in front of some difficult opponents.
During his time at Western, Boyd has played at Georgia (2006) and Florida (2007), before many hostile fans.
“It’s just a relay good time,” Boyd said. “You go out there and give it your all and prove what you can do. I think you open a few eyes when you go play teams like that, just kind of showcase your talent on the field.”
This season, after beginning on the road with Indiana, the Hilltoppers will also have to visit Alabama, Virginia Tech and Kentucky.
The Kentucky matchup is one of particular interest, Boyd said.
“This is the first time that Western Kentucky and UK have played football against each other, ever,” he said. “I’ll be part of this, and will be part of a new tradition. Hopefully we’ll start it out right. I definitely think we have a better team and a team that can compete against anybody, and it will be good to go out there and shake a few heads and change a few minds about Western Kentucky football.”
With so many tough competitors on the schedule it will be important for Boyd and his teammates to believe in themselves, and that’s why the team chose the word “Believe” as the motto for this season.
To reinforce the mantra each player wears a wristband with the word printed on it.
“If you believe in your teammates then you can just trust to do your job,” Boyd said. “I believe in my lineman and I believe in my people behind me. It makes it a lot easier to go out there and relax, to play your position and not worry about other things. It clears your head a lot.”
Although Boyd said he believes in his fellow defenders to do their jobs, Quinn said Boyd is the type of player that can take charge during difficult times and will help Western against its opponents.
“He led us in the quarterback position getting people in the right position, but then he’d turn around and did it defensively,” Quinn said. “He was the leader, the captain on the defensive side, so his leadership ability and being a coach as a player, he’s able to recognize a lot of things and he’s able to help other people get in position to be successful.”
As a transitional team, the Hilltoppers will be ineligible to qualify for a bowl game until next season, but Western wants to finish with a winning season and extend its consecutive winning seasons streak to 13.
As long as the Hilltoppers can stay focused on the team motto, the goal should be more than attainable, Boyd said
“We believe you have to believe in what you’re doing and wherever the coaches are going, and believe in the players next to you,” he said. “If you can believe then you can make it happen.”
Western begins the 2008 season at 11 a.m. today in Bloomington, Ind.
No comments:
Post a Comment