PurpleMenace.com - Boyce uses two-a-day experience to lead young WRs

August 6, 2012

Travis L. Brown
PurpleMenace.com Editor

Monday marked the first day of practice for TCU's 2012 season, but for junior wide receiver Josh Boyce, it's the first day back on the job.

Boyce ,one of two upperclassmen in the wide receiver corps, said his maturation into a team leader came when he began viewing his work in football as a job.

"It's like a job basically," Boyce said. "You wake up, come clock in, get a little lunch break and go back to work to finish the day off. After you get into a routine after a the first couple of days, everything is ok."

What that also entails is staying focused on football through two-a-days so he can take in as much as possible in those preseason practices. Boyce said most freshman come in making all kinds of plans for after practice and eventually learn the best plans during this time is with your head on a pillow.

"It's kind of funny because your freshman year you think you're going to do this or that and then the old guys are like, 'Ok, go ahead and see what happens,'" Boyce said with a chuckle. "The old guys stay and work hard every day."

However, it's advice like this that Boyce plans to pass along to TCU's very young wide receivers to speed up the maturation process. Two sophomore and a redshirt freshman will most likely see the majority of the playing time not given to Boyce or senior Skye Dawson.

"Whenever the ask me, 'What should I do here?' or have a question about running a rout or how to see coverages and stuff like that," Boyce said.

Brandon Carter and Cam White will again be key targets amongst the underclassmen, as they were as true freshman last season, but there are several young wide outs that have turned heads since they stepped on campus.

Coach Gary Patterson has raved about redshirt freshman LaDarius Brown, who comes into the season at 6-foot-4 and 224-pounds with quick feet and the ability to go up and get balls over defenders.

Boyce also liked the skills of David Bush and Kolby Listenbee, a true freshman who made the move to wide receiver from his high school position of quarterback. All of these players could be called upon to make a big play throughout the season, Boyce said.

"Bush is going to shock some people this season," Boyce said.

For Boyce personally, crossing the 1000-yard mark that he just missed last season would be a special achievement, but winning is, of course, his main priority.

The 2011 season came to an end with Boyce's stat line reading 998-yards, just a dive away from the milestone.

"It was a big deal but it really isn't," Boyce said. "As long as the team's winning, I have no problem with where my stats are. I saw it right after the game and I was like, 'Man!' but I've got another year to do better with that."

However, during two-a-days, Boyce is all about his double duty as the ace of the corps and a mentor to those behind him, using the leadership he learned from those great wide outs that came before him.

"When I came in there was a lot of older guys so they helped me a lot," Boyce said. "I'm trying to do what they did for me and letting me know they can call me or whatever."

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