Tiger Tuesday features a Clemson athlete from the past that significantly impacted the program
Tajh Boyd – Quarterback, 2009-13
- RTR 200 Ranking: 16
- First-team All-American by AFCA
- ACC Player of the Year & Offensive Player of the Year in 2012
- Three-time All-ACC selection
- 11,904 passing yards
- 107 passing touchdowns
- 1,165 rushing yards
- 26 rushing touchdowns
- ACC-record 133 total touchdowns
When people nationally think about elite Clemson quarterbacks, most think about Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence. Clemson fans remember that the man who set the stage for both was Tajh Boyd.
Boyd graduated from Pheobus High School in Hampton, Virginia. As a starter for the Phantoms, he won two state championships, only losing two games in his high school career. Boyd’s college recruitment was dynamic, with verbal commitments (and de-commitments) to both West Virginia and Tennessee before finding his home in Clemson, thanks to the efforts of Danny Pearman and Billy Napier.
Boyd redshirted in 2009. As a redshirt freshman in 2010, he served as the back-up to starter Kyle Parker. It was well-known that Parker was coveted by many in Major League Baseball, so there was an assumption that Boyd would likely be the starter in 2011. When the Tigers struggled in 2010, some fans were eager to get the Boyd era started.
Clemson made significant changes to their offensive staff that offseason, parting with Napier and hiring Chad Morris to run the offense. The Tigers opened sluggishly against Troy and Wofford, and fans were concerned going into the big non-conference match-up against Auburn, who were defending national champions. Their worries were erased as Clemson won 38-24 in Death Valley, ending Auburn’s winning streak. They followed that victory with wins against Florida State & Virginia Tech, and eventually won the Atlantic Division, securing Dabo Swinney’s second appearance in the ACC Championship Game. Boyd thrived in Morris’s offense and led the Tigers to their first ACC title since 1991.
Boyd shined brightest during the 2012 season. He became the first Tiger quarterback in history to earn first-team All-America honors in 2012. He also earned multiple ACC honors, leading the Tigers to a postseason matchup against the LSU Tigers. Boyd led the offense on a game-winning drive, completing the famous 4th & 16 pass to Deandre Hopkins, setting up kicker Chandler Catanzaro for the field goal that sealed the victory as time expired.
Boyd finished his Clemson career in 2013 with Clemson’s first victory in a BCS bowl, defeating the Urban Meyer-led Ohio State Buckeyes in the Orange Bowl. Boyd’s career stats has him sitting at the top of Clemson’s all-time list with 11,904 passing yards and 107 passing touchdowns, ahead of both Watson and Lawrence. His three full seasons as a starter rank as the 3rd, 4th and 5th best single seasons for passing yards in school history. His single game passing yards against Syracuse in 2013 ranks as the second best single game passing yard mark in school history, with other games in his career taking the 5th and 6th best marks. Boyd threw five touchdowns in a game on seven different occasions during his career. Against NC State in 2012, he had a total of eight touchdowns between passing and rushing.
The NFL didn’t work out for Tajh Boyd, but he’s blooming where he’s planted as part of Dabo Swinney’s staff
Boyd was drafted by the New York Jets in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft, but unfortunately was released at the end of training camp. He played for the Boston Brawlers in the Fall Experimental Football League before getting an opportunity with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but again was released. Boyd played for a couple of Canadian Football League teams before his pro career ended.
Today, Boyd has joined Coach Swinney’s staff as an offensive player development coach. Clemson fans are thrilled to have him back home, and are expecting big things from #10.