Southern Wayne senior E’lla Boykin, middle, gets a kiss from his mom, Inez Wright, after signing a letter-of-intent to play football at Barton College. At left is Boykin’s step-father, Christopher Wright. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
DUDLEY — Look up the word versatility in the dictionary and you just might find a picture of E’lla Boykin.
It’s an apt description.
Boykin did everything but drive the bus for Southern Wayne’s football team last fall. A rare athlete with a God-given gift, the senior utilized his size, strength and speed in all three facets — offense, defense and special teams.
In a few months, Boykin will carry those talents to Wilson after he signed a letter-of-intent to play football at Barton College – a Division II program entering its fifth season.
“They’re still young and trying to find their way,” Boykin said. “I feel like I’m a good leader. If I can get on the field early, maybe in my first year, I can help them at middle and outside linebacker. I’ve got to get stronger, faster and hit the weight room harder, too.”
Boykin’s versatility surfaced throughout the season.
He excelled at “stack” linebacker, which allowed him to hover over the tackles and display his speed on blitz attacks. Injuries and disciplinary issues depleted the defense, which caused Hine and his staff to discuss moving Boykin to another position.
Boykin beat them to the conversation.
“I’m going to do the team better if I move into the “Mike” backer spot,” SW head coach Matt Hine said. “You know that turned a lot of blitzing and moving around to two younger guys and it left E’lla as the general in the middle of the field, who cleaned up whatever came into the tackle box.
“He worked tirelessly.”
Indeed.
Heart, hard work and dedication inspired Boykin to overcome two broken wrists and a knee injury during his prep career. Support from family, friends and teammates provided extra motivation.
Playing for his third coach in four years, Boykin helped guide the Saints to their second consecutive three-win campaign. His highlight tape undoubtedly featured numerous defensive stops, including a game-saving tackle against Eastern Wayne.
Unguarded, he exploded through the line untouched and stopped quarterback Izeiah Oates for a two-yard loss as time expired. Seconds earlier, he reeled in the game-winning touchdown pass that capped a come-from-behind, 22-20 victory over the Saints’ cross-town rival.
The reception and defensive stop snapped a 12-game skid against the Warriors.
“He was one of our captains every week and his role [this season] was immeasurable,” Hine said. “He’s got a bright future. I think he’s going to go in and compete for playing time right away.”
A multi-sport athlete who works two jobs, Boykin maintains a 3.875 grade-point average (GPA) in the classroom. He plans to transfer to a Division I school and study chemical engineering.
Barton finished 6-5 last season, including a 4-5 worksheet against South Atlantic Conference opposition. The school competes in Conference Carolinas, which will sponsor football in 2025 when Shorter (Georgia) University officially joins the league.
