TU's Boyd awaits a call that won't come

/> "This cat, man. He's upper-body strong. His punch is aggressive. He could jump in and play today,” Boyd said. "He could play yesterday in the Pro Bowl, or something. That's the kind of caliber guy he is.”

Boyd's reaction to Long's contract is what you'd figure it to be.

"Aww, man. Thirty mil guaranteed? If I was blessed enough to get that, that'd be amazing,” Boyd said. "That's first-round money, though.”

Away from football, Boyd is a high first-rounder himself.

He spoke to a Fellowship of Christian Athletes gathering in Broken Arrow on Friday and addressed another FCA group that night in Glenpool.

When the first and second rounds of the NFL Draft are held today, Boyd plans on playing in an on-campus volleyball tournament at Tulsa that's part of an end-of-the-year festivity.

When Rounds 3-7 are held Sunday, Boyd likely will be fishing with linebacker and roommate Alain Karatepeyan.

With the latest collection of football multi-millionaires about to be drafted, Boyd has both feet planted firmly on the ground, and yet also has high aspirations.

"I'm not saying I'm the type of guy who can jump in and play tomorrow,” Boyd said. "I'm still raw. I've only played one year on offense. If I get in and learn the technique, I feel I can be an asset to somebody.”

Boyd appears to have the character aspect well-covered.

"You can coach technique,” Boyd said. "But guys like me — who offer leadership and character — you can't coach those things.

"You've got a guy who goes to a big school, he's 6-5, 330 pounds, runs a 4.8 (40-yard dash) and bench presses (225 pounds) 37 times, but he's also been in jail and smokes dope. Compared to that guy, I think I would be a better asset to a team just because of my reliability and my character.”

Alas, that's not always the case, which is why free agency awaits Boyd.

"If the NFL happens for me, it happens,” Boyd said. "I'll do everything within my power to make it happen. But if it doesn't happen, then God didn't want me to play in the NFL, so I'm not going to force that issue.”

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