Only a month removed from winning his second national championship, sophomore Tae Boyd is already back at it, helping his team win games, just this time not on the gridiron, but on the court.
Boyd has always played multiple sports and been surrounded by success, dating back to his high school days, when he hails from Grand Blanc. In 2021, his team won the Division 1 Boys’ basketball state championship over Ann Arbor Huron. As for football, in Boyd’s senior season, his team went 12-1 before falling to Rochester Adams in the state semifinals by a score of 40-20.
Coming out of Grand Blanc, Boyd knew he wanted to play both sports, and Ferris was one of the schools that recruited him for both.
“It was kind of a long but good process for me,” Boyd said. “I had offers for both football and basketball from Ferris, and they were really one of the schools that offered me both and really pursued it in a way of showing me that they really cared and wanted me to be here.”
Boyd came to Ferris focusing on football initially, with his first season starting in 2024. He had only 2 catches for 41 yards and a touchdown that year. However, 2025 would be the season when he would earn a bigger role. In 2025, Boyd had 18 catches for 447 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 24.8 yards per reception, with his best game coming against Northern Michigan, where he had three catches for 131 yards and a touchdown.
Boyd did not play basketball for Ferris until the 2025-26 season. He spoke about his decision to make his debut on the court.
“Its something I was thinking about for a while,” Boyd said. “I had reached out prior to both football and basketball seasons starting and just kind of waiting to feel it out. Coach Fodness had reached out to me after the national championship game, and so that kind of helped me to pursue my decision a little bit more, but it was just something I have always had in the back of my mind.”
Boyd made his debut on the court on Jan 10 against Michigan Tech, he shot 4-8 from the field for 12 points, while also securing six rebounds and an assist. His next game against Northern Michigan, he shot 2-5 for six points, before making a large contribution in his first collegiate basketball win. Against Davenport Boyd shot 5-10 for 13 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals in the 82-69 win.
Interim head coach Alex Fodness spoke about what it means to have a player like Boyd join his team.
“With our roster being really banged up, we’re missing a guy who can make plays and do some stuff off the balance and just be a dynamic athlete,” Fodness said. “So far he’s been exactly what we have been missing. He’s been a shot in the arm for us, he can make plays when there’s really any play to be made. He’s a great defender, obviously super athletic, and that’s really what we’ve been missing with these guys getting injured.”
Boyd looks to continue to make a big contribution to his squad, as they look to right the ship after a slow start to the season. Boyd’s next game coming up being on Jan 24 at Wink Arena against a team that offered him out of high school in Lake Superior State.