This Is What We’re Here For
Sometimes the smile speaks volumes beyond the words that follow.
As a candid Kris Boyd recanted the bonds built throughout the past year, the effortless buy-in for exhaustive effort every day in the offseason, his grin kept growing.
“We love what we’re doing, we’re coming together and we’re ready to prove each other right,” the senior defensive back said. “You can’t be sad at all. You gotta be happy for that — doing what you love with the people you done built a bond with and gone hard with.”
Without struggle he smiled again talking about the intensity inspiring each other.
“After hard workouts you’re like, ‘Man, we did that.’ Now I’m ready for the season so we can show everybody how hard we've been doing it, and all the hard work's about to pay off.”
D-B-Youth
The buy-in from the freshmen brought Boyd’s excitement further to the surface. The incoming crop of recruits to DBU, which boasts 10 freshmen defensive backs on the roster including Caden Sterns, Jalen Green, Anthony Cook and BJ Foster among them, showed their seriousness and demonstrated their dedication to the upperclassmen early.
That has Texas thinking — and knowing — all this hard work is fun again.
“Anything we say, these young guys are really taking it in and I’m proud of them,” Boyd said. “I’m ready to see them develop on the field, I wanna see them go. All of them.”
The Longhorns look like a family hell-bent on having their heart burst through their burnt orange on game days, evidenced by letting loose a little with softball games and more on 'Family Fridays'.
“They’re looking at us like ‘I’m pouring my heart out for you, so tell me what you want.’ I can’t do nothing but respect that,” Boyd said. "(I told them) 'Anything y’all need I got y’all, I’m here. Y’all giving y’all’s all for me — I’m gonna give to y’all the same. And if y’all need anything just let me know.' It’s like a big brother relationship. I love all the young guys.”
Taking Texas Back to the Top
A promise with a Viking kept Boyd back in burnt orange this season.
After forgoing the NFL draft following his junior year, and seeing his friend and classmate Holton Hill drafted by the Minnesota Vikings, the Gilmore High standout knew his heart was here, to hunker down and take the Horns up to where they belong.
“It’s the DBU legacy,” he said. “When me and ‘Hollywood’ (Hill) committed here we talked about how we was gonna get it back going, and have everybody like, ‘Oh man, look at that secondary at Texas.’
“I’m here to show them this is what it’s about to be. DBU.”
Mad, Happy With the Offense
Tasked to stop opposing offenses this season, Boyd and the Texas ‘D’ have a feeling the offense is about to be something special as well.
How can he tell?
“They’re making me madder,” he laughed. “When the offense scores I get frustrated, and I’ve been pretty frustrated this camp but I love it.”
Knowing how tight knit his side of the ball is heading into the season, the success Texas is seeing ahead of the opener at Maryland has him singing a different tune during practices this year.
One that says Texas is set to take on the task of proving they belong in the elite, on both sides of the ball.
“(Now if) I tell the offense when they did something good, they take it in because I’m always telling them, ‘You suck. That was bad. I let you catch that.’ Giving them a hard time basically.”
Boyd's ready to see the sweat and smiles turn into wins starting Sept. 1 at Maryland.
"Now it's football season. This is what we're here for," he concluded.
Nobody could have said it with a smile better than Boyd.
