LA Rams: 15 greatest wide receivers of All Time

The football career of Bob Boyd would truly put players to shame today. He was one of the two-way players, someone who started on offense and defense. While his career was short-lived, with seven NFL seasons, 44 starts, and 79 games played, he was an iron man of durability.  He played both offense and defense and played as one of the best.

For his career, he averaged over 20 yards (20.5 yards to be exact) per catch. And in 1954, he averaged more than 100 yards per game. That all allowed him to rack up 3,611 yards of offense and put 28 touchdowns for the Rams.

Boyd has been described in The Sports Column in 2017 by Samuel Johnson as “The Forgotten One.”

Did you know that Bob Boyd was also known as The Fastest Man in Football? He earned that reputation after winning the NCAA 100-yard dash title.  Or that his nickname was Seabiscuit, after the racehorse of the same name? Or that he was in the same offense as future NFL Hall of Famers Tom Fears and “Crazy Legs” Elroy Hirsch? In fact, in 1954 he put up almost as many yards on his own as Fears and Hirsch did together.

Boyd was a 6-foot-2, 201-pound end who also played as a defensive back. In both 1953 and 1956, he was also involved in special teams as a punt returner and/or a kick returner.

Boyd was truly a pioneer of his time. He was an epic African-American professional football player whose career was outstanding at a time when only a few NFL teams had integrated rosters.  His performance does not get nearly enough attention. For example, he was the first NFL player in NFL history to have 100+ yards receiving in his first four games. Boyd missed playing in 1952 due to military duty, or he would have had even more receiving yards to his credit.

Bob Boyd sadly passed away on May 14, 2009.  But he will not leave our memories so easily. You see, some stories are worth remembering. Bob Boyd’s tale is one such story. Not only was he an incredible football player, but he was a very special and courageous man as well.