David Boston, former NFL star, trains athletes in hometown
GLENDALE, Ariz. (BVM) – David Boston’s NFL career seemed to fall as quickly as it rose. After he burst onto the scene during his first three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, Boston was out of the league just four seasons later. The Ohio State legend was known for his extreme athleticism and scoring ability, but injuries and off-the-field issues doomed a promising career.
Today, Boston is focused on helping the next generation of athletes through his own personal training. This includes encouraging his son, Brayden, as he works his way through AAU basketball.
Early life and high school football
Boston grew up in Humble, Texas where he was introduced to football at a young age as his father, Byron, served as an NFL line judge. Boston also had a brother, Byron Jr., who went on to play college football at Sam Houston State. However, Boston was the best athlete between his older brother and sister.
Boston attended Humble High School, where he played safety and wide receiver and excelled as an upperclassman. As a high school senior, he caught 51 passes for 780 yards, scored eight touchdowns and averaged 23.2 yards on kickoff returns and 17.1 yards on punt returns while defensively he registered 88 tackles and recorded nine interceptions. Boston led Humble to the state semifinals in basketball and the state finals in football and was a second-team all-state selection on the hardwood and an All-American selection on the gridiron.
Ohio State
The 6-foot-2 wideout had plenty of suitors for his services, but he ultimately chose to join the program at Ohio State University. Once on campus, it didn’t take long for Boston to establish himself as a threat.
As a freshman in 1996, Boston recorded 33 receptions for 450 yards and seven touchdowns along with returning 32 punts for 297 yards and a touchdown. Boston’s best performance that season came in the team’s most important game as he recorded four catches for 20 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning score with 19 seconds left, against Arizona State in the 1997 Rose Bowl.
During his sophomore season, Boston stepped his game up even further by leading the Big Ten in receptions, receiving touchdowns and punt return yardage. He finished the year with 73 catches for 970 yards and a whopping 14 touchdown receptions along with returning 47 punts for 392 yards.
Even with his great success in his first two seasons, Boston saved his best for last. As a junior, Boston led the Big Ten in all three major receiving categories, catching 85 passes for 1,435 yards and 13 scores helping him secure first-team All-American honors.
Boston S Big Day Speaks Volumes
By the time he left Columbus, Boston set or tied 12 Ohio State receiving records, including most receptions, yards, and touchdowns though these career records have since been broken.
Congratulations @chrisolave_ on breaking the TD record!! You’re a hell of a football player, enjoy watching you play👊🏾💯#BuckeyeNation
— David Boston (@DbossBoston) November 20, 2021
NFL career
With not much left to prove at Ohio State, Boston declared for the 1999 NFL Draft following his junior season with the Buckeyes. As one of the top college football players in the nation, it didn’t take long for Boston to hear his name called on draft night as he was selected with the No. 8 overall pick in the first round by the Arizona Cardinals.
The Cardinals already had some established veteran receivers on the team so Boston’s rookie season was limited to only eight starts but he played in all 16 games where he recorded 40 catches for 473 yards and two touchdowns. The next season is when Boston broke out.
Playing and starting all 16 games, Boston caught 71 passes for 1,156 yards and seven scores during his second season, establishing himself as a future threat to the league. The next season, Boston had the best campaign of his career playing in all 16 games and starting 15 of them while recording 98 catches for a league-leading 1,598 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on his way to Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors.
It seemed as if Boston was destined for stardom, but those hopes were quickly extinguished. The next season, Boston only lasted eight games before a knee injury ended his season with only 32 catches for 512 yards and one touchdown.
Boston signed a seven-year, $47 million contract with the San Diego Chargers in the 2003 offseason. The marriage wouldn’t last long. Despite Boston having a solid season with the Chargers, recording 70 catches for 880 yards and seven touchdowns, but the wideout clashed with the coaching staff and the team decided to trade him to the Miami Dolphins just 14 games into his long contract.
Before he even played a game in Miami, Boston got into trouble. The receiver tested positive for steroids in the 2004 offseason and was suspended four games by the league, but this wouldn’t matter much as Boston missed the entire season after tearing ligaments in his knee.
After the injury, the Dolphins released Boston only to bring him back on a veteran minimum. Once back, Boston was a shell of himself, playing in just five games with no starts while catching four passes for 80 yards. In 2006, Boston signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but never played in a regular season game and was released in 2007 following a DUI arrest.
This marked the end of Boston’s NFL career and although he attempted to play in the Canadian Football League, an injury ruined those prospects as well. Boston’s career ended in 2008 after seven NFL seasons where he played in 75 games with 61 starts and recorded 315 catches for 4,699 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Retirement
It took time for Boston to get his footing in retirement. In 2011, Boston pleaded guilty to a charge of aggravated battery and received a six-month prison sentence. However, following this issue, Boston returned to Humble where he was able to live near his parents and sister.
Once in Humble, Boston returned to what he knew best–football. He took up training athletes from 6-13 years old as well as high school athletes with more focus on football. While his work isn’t the sexiest or most financially fruitful, Boston is able to help those in a similar situation that he grew up in to try to reach their own athletic goals.
In his downtime, Boston still supports his Buckeyes, frequently cheering for the team during big games.
Buckeyes!! Underdogzzz!! Let’s GO
💯— David Boston (@DbossBoston) January 2, 2021
Boston’s son, Brayden, is also an athlete like his dad. Much like his father did in high school, Brayden excels on the basketball court where he is part of the LOFDL BLUECHIPS AAU team. While his son is still years out from college or even high school basketball, things seem to be looking up for the next Boston.
https://twitter.com/IAmCoachMitch/status/1519738213165895680
Today, Boston is back where it all started, looking to help those young athletes in his own community make their mark on the world. While it remains to be seen how far these athletes will go, with his son Brayden coming up in the athletics world, it may not be too long before Humble residents see another Boston dominating high school sports.
