CLAIRTON — The excitement in Clairton is building. Super Bowl 56 is only days away, and a hometown hero, Tyler Boyd, is ready to take the field for the Bengals.
This is a big deal for this town’s biggest football stars, and those who have known Boyd since childhood are bursting with pride.
Linda Withrow, who taught Boyd in seventh and eighth grade, says, “We are thrilled beyond words.”
Another one of Boyd’s middle school teachers, Jennifer Wells, is also savoring the positive energy of seeing a former student reach the pinnacle. “Unbelievably proud. It’s a teacher’s dream to see their students, their kids, he’s my kid, and to see him live his dream.”
Wayne Wade is Clairton’s head football coach. Nearly a decade ago, he was Boyd’s defensive coordinator, and he understands all too well the impact of Boyd representing Clairton in the most significant sporting event of the year. “It’s big for the community. We’ve always been rich in football, and you know, to now be able to say, you know, a player from Clairton has now played in the Super Bowl is amazing.”
Wade also knows that Boyd is inspiring a new generation of Clairton students/athletes “to be able to look in the trophy case and see his jersey and see the trophies. They know that it’s possible.”
Teacher Linda Withrow applauds Boyd, not only for his success but also for sharing his triumph with all of Clairton. “For him to be so successful, and then to come back to this community and do the things that he does. I think it’s wonderful.”
This browser does not support the video element.