• Follow us on Twitter @buckeyeplanet and @bp_recruiting, like us on Facebook! Enjoy a post or article, recommend it to others! BP is only as strong as its community, and we only promote by word of mouth, so share away!
  • Consider registering! Fewer and higher quality ads, no emails you don't want, access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Even if you just want to lurk, there are a lot of good reasons to register!

WR David Boston (First Team All-American, NFL All Pro)

Jump to latest Follow Reply
Sort by date Sort by votes
BrutuStrengthQuote:
...Consider him the Barry Bonds of football, even though the size of the receiver's head hasn't grown astronomically in the last few years...
:slappy:

Yea, but everything else may be bigger:
david_boston.jpg
 
Upvote 0
Link

5/27

Simms Expects Boost From Boston

Skip directly to the full story.
By ROY CUMMINGS [email protected]
Published: May 26, 2006



TAMPA - Chris Simms was just a bundle of hopes and dreams when David Boston first burst onto the NFL scene seven years ago. A lot has changed in the lives of both players since.
While Simms has gone from college bench-warmer to NFL starter, Boston has gone from being one of the league's most-lauded players to one of its most disappointing. One thing that hasn't changed is Simms' image of Boston.
While a series of knee injuries and off-field problems have forced a lot of others in the NFL to alter their view of Boston, Simms says enthusiastically that he still sees Boston as a big-time playmaking receiver.
"It's great to have him here," Simms said of Boston, who signed a free agent contract with the Bucs on Wednesday. "It definitely gives us another downfield threat.
"I mean, if you put Joey [Galloway] on one side and David Boston on the other, it's going to make defenses think about who they want to cheat their safeties to in coverage. We really have a lot of speed at receiver now."
Theoretically, Simms is right. After all, when he came into the league out of Ohio State, Boston was considered one of the best blends of speed and size to play receiver.
In reality, though, it is way too soon to suggest that Boston will provide the Bucs with a deep threat to complement Galloway, a fellow Ohio Sate alumnus.
"I still have a long ways to go to recover all my speed," Boston said Thursday in the wake of his first workout with the Bucs. "My knees feel good right now, but I still have a little more work to do.
"I'd say right now that I'm at about 90 percent. I still have a ways to go then, but luckily I still have plenty of time before training camp starts to get things going."
As Simms suggested, Boston may be worth waiting for. When he came out of college he was a big, strong, 240-pound target who could run a 4.4-second 40-yard dash and snatch balls from almost any defensive back in the league.
Not surprisingly, he quickly established himself as one of the game's better wideouts, catching 209 passes during his first three years in the league with the Arizona Cardinals.
But after earning a Pro Bowl berth and catching 98 passes in his third season, Boston's career took a turn for the worse in 2002 when he suffered a knee injury that caused him to miss all but eight games.
Boston recovered well enough for him to catch 70 passes in 14 games for San Diego in 2003, but the same knee hampered him in 2004 and 2005, limiting him to five games over the course of two seasons with Miami.
Boston also ran into some off-field problems during that time. He failed a league-administered steroid test and was suspended for four games in 2004. He also was arrested and charged with the assault of a ticket agent at a Vermont airport.
Those issues and his knee problems kept a lot of teams from taking a chance on Boston, but the former first-round draft pick believes the Bucs have made a solid investment.
"I feel like I've matured a lot the last few years," Boston said when asked about the off-field problems he has faced. "I'm 27 years old now, and I have a wife and a daughter, and I've devoted my life to them.
"I wouldn't say [the last few years] have humbled me, but it's something that has opened my eyes a little bit. I've seen both sides now, the good and the bad, but I still have that passion to compete.
"That's what's kept me going. And that's why I like it here. I had a few other visits with other teams, but Coach [Jon] Gruden has a passion for the game that I love, so I'm glad to be a part of this."
 
Upvote 0
Link

Boston says he's healed on all fronts

By STEPHEN HOLDER
Published May 26, 2006
TAMPA - David Boston says he is driven to be the player he was once was. If you don't believe him, you should have seen him Thursday.
Less than 24 hours after completing a deal with the Bucs, the free-agent receiver participated in the team's voluntary workout at Raymond James Stadium. He immediately returned to One Buc Place, where he began a series of calisthenics followed by a meeting with his position coach.
After missing 27 games with the Dolphins the past two seasons with a patella tendon injury in his left knee, there is little time to waste.
"When you've gone out and had success in the league, you know what it's like and how hard you need to work and how hungry you were when you were doing it," said Boston, who was selected to the Pro Bowl after a career year in 2001. "I've never forgotten that. It sets a standard.
"I know if I'm not working hard, I just look back to the things I was doing when I was really successful in my first three years in the league."
But as eager as Boston is to return, he will have to have patience. He said his knee is about 90 percent healed, so, to be safe, he will take only a limited number of reps, 15 to 20 each workout for now.
"My first three or four years, I never got hurt," he said. "It's the last two years I've had to deal with injuries. I'm a little smarter now and know how to handle injuries. If I'm pushing myself too hard, I'll back off a little.
"They're giving me the leeway to take things slowly here. They know I'm on my way back."
Quarterback Chris Simms can see the 6-foot-2 veteran's potential after just a handful of passes: "He's like a specimen. He's 230 pounds and can run a 4.4 (40 yards) and catch the ball with ease. He's just been a big-time player."
Boston's injury issues have been compounded by a drug-related suspension, a failed steroid test, a drunk-driving arrest and an arrest for simple assault while rehabbing in Vermont in 2004. Also, in 2003, he was suspended one game by Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer for conduct detrimental to the team.
Has Boston, the first-round draft pick by the Cardinals in 1999 out of Ohio State, matured?
"I feel like I have," he said. "I'm 27 years old, and I have a wife and a daughter now and I devote my life to them.
"When it's time to work, I work hard and try to keep all my decisions based around that."
The decision to join the Bucs was arrived at after Boston's visit to Tampa last week, when "they welcomed me with open arms and I was glad to be a part of that. And Coach (Jon) Gruden has a passion for the game that I love.
"I think it will work out well."
 
Upvote 0
Link

6/22
http://www.tbo.com/sports/bucs/MGBQOZ06QOE.html
(On David Boston)
“He’s done pretty good. I’m not going to say anything else other than he’s looked pretty damn good. He’s getting himself physically fit again. He’s had some injuries the last couple seasons. He and Michael Clayton both are getting themselves rounded back into playing shape and speed. If they can do that, they’ll help our team.”
 
Upvote 0
If Boston get back to his normal self, Galloway plays the way he did last year and Clayton plays like he did his rookie year Tampa Bay will be looking pretty good this year. If Sims can get these guys the ball it will open up Cadillac Williams and the running game.

A lot of IFs but having some Buckeyes on the roster down here makes it easier to root for Tampa Bay.
 
Upvote 0
Boston eager to compete for a job
By STEPHEN F. HOLDER
Published July 9, 2006

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Buccaneers have 14 receivers on the roster, and here's a news flash: They won't all be there come opening day.

Although the Bucs kept seven receivers on this past season's final roster - a particularly high number in comparison with the rest of the league - there will still be some tough choices come August.

All of this brings us to David Boston, whose signing in May only intensifies the competition in what could be the most scrutinized unit during training camp.

After largely forgettable, injury-plagued seasons with the Dolphins the past two years, Boston is quickly working himself back into form and figures to spice up the competition in camp if he can recapture his signature speed and power.

"I feel good," Boston said recently. "I'm just out there running around. It's great to be able to go out there and run around without any pain so I can compete. I love to compete. I'm getting a chance to show my athletic ability right now."

In Miami, the 27-year-old Boston suffered the same right knee injury in consecutive seasons.

Although he has proclaimed himself healed, Boston continues to take on only a small workload in practices.

Jon Gruden and company aren't saying much publicly - to temper expectations - but the coach and his staff have high hopes for Boston. If he can truly work his way back, he has the potential to add a little sizzle to an offense in need of every spark it can get.

For now, Boston continues to work diligently to pick up the Bucs' ultra-technical offense.

"It's all unfamiliar to me, but I seem to be picking it up pretty good," said Boston, who has slimmed down to a chiseled 6-2, 228 pounds. "Right now, I'm still in the learning stage, but I'll get it."

After that, he can home in on returning to the player he once was, which is to say a guy with two 1,000-yard seasons and a Pro Bowl on his resume.

No one is more eager to see how things shake out at receiver than Gruden. The offensive-minded coach surely is considering a number of combinations for his final receiving unit, each coming with intriguing possibilities.

After roster shoo-ins Joey Galloway and Michael Clayton, do the Bucs prefer the experience of Boston and Ike Hilliard or the upside of youngsters Edell Shepherd and third-round pick Maurice Stovall?

It's a good problem to have, really.

"We're going to have to let some players go probably even before training camp," Gruden said. "We're eager to see what happens. Ike Hilliard's important to us because he can play so many positions (split end and flanker). Clayton, it's important that he comes back to us as the player we drafted, and we think he will. Boston is very interesting, and Galloway still has great life in his legs.

"Shepherd has gotten better with his opportunities. And from our young class of last year, Paris Warren has stood out a little bit; J.R. Russell has had his days. I really don't know other than we're going to have to play some preseason games and go through some reps and find out how they stack themselves."

Time will tell. Camp starts in 18 days.

[Last modified July 9, 2006, 07:12:12]
Click to expand...

http://www.sptimes.com/2006/07/09/Bucs/Boston_eager_to_compe.shtml
 
Upvote 0
CNNSI

NFC South: Impact Newcomers
71256755.jpg
6 of 11
David Boston
Receiver, Buccaneers

There's no guarantee that Boston will make the team, but he has impressed the coaches so far and could add a new dimension to Tampa Bay's somewhat pedestrian offense. Boston is getting into shape after missing most of the last two seasons with knee injuries. In 2001 he had 98 catches for 1,598 yards while with Arizona.
Photo: Doug Benc/Getty Images
 
Upvote 0
New start for Boston with Bucs

BY DAVID DORSEY
FLORIDA TODAY

LAKE BUENA VISTA - David Boston hopes two things go different for him as he enters his eighth NFL season.

Boston hopes to be healthy, and he hopes to win.

Neither of those goals has been in place at the same time throughout the wide receiver's career with the Arizona Cardinals, San Diego Chargers and Miami Dolphins.

Boston looks for both to change now that he's with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"I'm glad to have the chance to be on a football team that has a chance to win a lot of football games. I haven't had that," Boston said after the Bucs' first practice of training camp Friday morning at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex.

Boston's previous teams have combined for a seven-year record of 38-74. He has had a winning season just once, last year's 9-7 mark in Miami.

The Bucs were 11-5 last season.

"I'm excited to be here," Boston said. "I'm 100 percent. I feel real good."

Boston probably felt his best in 2001, when he started all 16 games for the Cardinals and caught a career-high 98 passes for 1,598 yards and eight touchdowns, making the Pro Bowl along the way.

Boston, who is 6-foot-2, 228 pounds, caught 70 passes for 880 yards and seven touchdowns in 2003 while with the Chargers.

"It's hard not to acknowledge his talent," Bucs quarterback Chris Simms said. "You can see it from the git-go. You can't forget that four or five years ago, he might have been the best receiver in the NFL."

Since then, Boston has been limited because of various knee injuries. He missed all of the 2004 season, and he caught just four passes for 80 yards in five games last season.

"Since we've had him, he came in, and we've taken our time with him," Bucs receivers coach Richard Mann said. "He knows how to line up. He knows what to do. We feel like he is a good football player. He's proven that.

"If we can keep him healthy, the sky is the limit."

That's also if Boston can make the roster.

Boston, who turns 28 on Aug. 19, will be fighting for a roster spot with the Bucs. Joey Galloway, Michael Clayton and Ike Hilliard appear to be locks, and the team also has Edell Shepherd, Mark Jones and Maurice Stovall, the team's third-round draft pick.

The Bucs have 11 receivers in camp.

"We keep around five or six," Mann said. "The bottom line is, you keep your best football players."

Bucs coach Jon Gruden said he has liked Boston's work during the offseason.

"He's not 40 years old like I am, or 42 -- this is a young guy who's had great success in pro football," Gruden said. "He's had some setbacks, and they're well-documented. But he's real big, and he's real fast, and he's got a burning desire to prove he can still play."

Before Boston can prove he can play, he must memorize the playbook.

"This is probably the most difficult offense I've ever had to learn," Boston said. "It's not really, really hard, but you have to pay attention every day. This is the fourth team I've been with. There's definitely a lot more to it here."

Gruden said Boston seemed up to the task of fitting in on this team.

"He's a quick study, and he's learned our stuff extremely fast," Gruden said. "I'm going to judge him for myself. I like what I've seen a lot, our coaches like him a lot, and our players, many of them have played with him at Arizona -- Simeon (Rice) and Mike Pittman.

"We've had a lot of luck bringing guys in here from the Cardinals, if you want to be honest. Hopefully, he can do the same things that some of the others have done."

Dorsey, a staff writer at the Fort Myers News-Press, covers Tampa Bay for FLORIDA TODAY.
Click to expand...

http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060729/SPORTS/607290320/1002/sports
 
Upvote 0
Link

On David Boston:
“We’re hoping [Michael] Clayton and David Boston both come back to the status that they belong in. I did like what I saw of Boston. I really think as a young guy – he’s not 40 years old like I am, or 42 – this is a young guy who’s had great success in pro football. He’s had some setbacks and they’ve been well-documented, but he’s real big and he’s real fast and he’s got a burning desire right now to prove he can still play. I’m encouraged, I’m excited about working with this guy.”

On Boston’s attitude:
“Great. He’s been working every day. He’s a quick study and he’s learned our stuff extremely fast. I’m going to judge him for myself. I like what I’ve seen a lot, our coaches like him a lot and our players, many of them have played with him at Arizona – Simeon [Rice], Mike Pittman. Thomas Jones played with him, a guy who I also know who was in here. We've had a lot of luck bringing guys in here from the Cardinals, if you want to be honest. Hopefully he can do the same things that some of the others have done.”

On Boston’s health:
“We’re going to try to be creative with some of our players as we have in previous years. He might be a one-a-day guy, as Joey Galloway will be, and some of our veteran players. We might want to take a look at some of our younger players and use an extra day, or half a day, to let some players recover. We’re going to be creative with David. I’m excited to put him out there so our fans can see him, because this is a great big old guy who has some flair about him. He’s going to bring it to the practice field, I believe.”
 
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top