Face of the Franchise

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Tue Mar 26 11:26:57 GMT-04:00 2013

CLEMSON - Whenever someone is in a particularly good mood or shows out in a particular way, my mother will say that person “is in rare form today.”

Tajh BoydTajh Boyd
RS Jr. Quarterback
#10 6-1, 225
Hampton, VA
View Full Profile was in rare form Monday.

Boyd spoke with the media following Monday’s practice inside the new indoor practice facility, and he covered a variety of topics, including his trip to California to work with George Whitfield last week, his work ethic, and even the fact that he got some sun while out West.

In other words, Tajh Boyd held court, with the media eating up his every word.

“Spring break was good. I got a little darker,” Boyd joked when asked about his trip. "I walked in and Coach [Danny] Pearman was like, 'I thought you were coach [Coach] Rumph.' No disrespect to Coach Rumph. It was a good trip. I got in a lot of good work.”

It’s easy to see that Boyd has become the Face of the Franchise – even more so than head coach Dabo SwinneyDabo Swinney
Head Coach
View Full Profile - his picture adorning every article and website nationally that features Clemson, and he said Monday that he doesn’t want to waste a single precious second of his remaining time as a Tiger.

"It'll be gone before you know it. In seven months, the season will be over," he said. "I didn't want to go through spring break just coasting. I don't want to waste a day."

And then he said, “For me, it’s time to take over completely.”

Boyd said he knows how to get where he wants to go as an individual and to get the team to its goals.

"To be a more complete general,” he said. “One of the things about being a veteran is that every time you get a chance to be on the practice field and work, you have to take advantage of it. You have to be there with a passion. You can't really take a day off. It goes by so quickly. We have to embrace it."

Sometimes, that isn’t always easy, but Boyd said as a veteran it is his job to set the expectations for the younger players.

"I'm trying to embrace that, embrace every moment," he said. "Mat drills, they're terrible. They suck. But at the same time, we have to live with the moment. You're gasping for air, yet you have to say, 'This is great.' You need to set an example to the point that younger players see you, everything you're doing and when you leave and it's all said and done, they can step up and be in that same position and lead guys the same way and then expect the same results."

Boyd said this season has a chance to be a good one, and he puts the pressure squarely on his own shoulders.

"It's just a big opportunity for me and my guys in the receiving corps. I feel like I've got the best receiving corps in the country," he said. "We've got an opportunity to be a special team. But it's going to take some time and chemistry. For us, this is one of those situations where we have depth. We feel like we have a really solid group up front. For me, I've just got to put my best foot forward."