As a Boatswain's mate in the Navy who spent too much of his sons' first few years at sea, Tim Boyd got out of the military and became an independent maintenance man in the shipyard, a job that allowed him to work regular hours and spend the rest of his time working on his sons' athletic careers.
Tim Boyd never played football beyond high school, but as he watched the likes of Aaron Brooks, Ronald Curry and Michael Vick go from the 757 area code to the NFL, he wanted to do everything in his power to give his sons the same opportunity. When Tajh was 7 years old, Tim went online and ordered in
That opened the door for Swinney, a super-energetic recruiter who connected with the family and didn't mind them moving close to campus. Tim Boyd, who said he makes a living painting and doing other odd jobs, has been a staple at practice almost daily ever since.
"I knew he wanted to enjoy his college career and I promised myself I wasn't going to be hanging over him and I would keep my distance so he could become a man and an adult through college," Tim Boyd said. "I'm not from (Virginia), we didn't have family there. So we moved here with the intentions of
Clemson's coaches say that even though the first two years were rocky at times, Tim Boyd respects his boundaries now. And the coaching staff's commitment to Tajh has never wavered. Even before he established himself a top-flight ACC quarterback in 2011, Swinney asked him to sit in on interviews for