Blake Hinson stole the show Saturday night with a 41-point outburst, leading the Panthers to another key win in the race to qualify for the NCAA Tournament, but he wasn’t the only Pitt star in attendance.
Pat Narduzzi brought Javon McIntyre, Jason Collier Jr. and Nate Temple to the Petersen Events Center to watch Pitt take on Louisville, and as he sat down by the court, former Pitt star and Cincinnati Bengal wide receiver Tyler Boyd joined him.
Boyd, who played at Clairton High School before going on to star at Pitt in the mid-2010s, is currently a wide receiver for the Bengals, but his future is somewhat murky considering he will become a free agent in just about a month.
There has been talk about Boyd, who has spent eight seasons with the Bengals, may look to return home to Pittsburgh to continue his NFL career.
“You never know,” Boyd told Pittsburgh Sports Now last month. “I love coach (Mike) Tomlin. He’s probably one of the realest dudes in the sport’s business. Obviously, I played at Pitt, and I had a lot of run-ins with him and talked to him just about football. His personality is more like a father figure, it’s a great connection, but who knows? Even if I don’t go after this year, I could do a one-year deal at the end of my career and maybe finish up, but who knows.”
Boyd is coming off a season in which he played all 17 games, making 13 starts, in a Bengals offense that missed star quarterback Joe Burrow for much of the season. But he still racked up 67 receptions for 667 yards (10 yards per reception) and two touchdowns.
In seven seasons with the Bengals, filling that No. 3 wide receiver and slot role in the recent seasons, Boyd has caught 513 passes for 6,000 yards (11.7 yards per reception) and 31 touchdowns.
As Boyd enters his eighth NFL season, he’s firmly established himself as one of the more reliable pass catchers and one of the best slot options in the league.
Boyd was initially a second round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft out of Pitt, and the Bengals selected him following one of the best individual careers for a wide receiver in Panthers’ history — a feat in its own right.
He spent just three seasons at Pitt, but he was a model of consistency right upon arriving from nearby Clairton High School. He hauled in 254 catches for 3,361 yards (13.2 yards per reception) and 21 touchdowns — ranking first in career receptions and receiving yards.
It was just the continuation of a dominant high school career at Clairton in early 2010s. In four seasons, Boyd led the Bears to a 63-1 record and four consecutive WPIAL and PIAA titles. He held the record for career touchdowns in the WPIAL upon graduating — a record that has since been broken.
Boyd is one of the greatest players in WPIAL and Pitt history, and while he was back in town for the big basketball win Saturday night, it may have just been the prelude to his next NFL stop.
Regardless, Boyd will be one of the better slot receivers in the NFL next season.
Trade the problem child Johnson.. Sign Biyd
Johnson had almost 400 receptions in 5 seasons. He is at the peak of his career and Boyd is at the end of his. I can’t see how that move would benefit the Steelers. What the Steelers need to do is use Calvin Austin more.