COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) Cory Boyd's wide smile is intact, although the good-natured running back was severely tested during his season away from South Carolina.<br>
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Boyd missed all of last year for violating athletic department policy, although athletic director Eric Hyman pointed out last summer that the player was in good standing academically. Instantly, the Gamecocks backfield experience took a major hit, along with Boyd's reputation.<br>
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But with the help of teammates and family, Boyd plugged into his penchant for the brighter side of life and is ecstatic to take the field again.<br>
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The experience ``helped me realize what I was looking forward to,'' Boyd said this week as South Carolina's spring practice began. ``I had a lot going for me. I had a step back, but I'm back and now I realize what's more valuable to me.''<br>
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The Gamecocks might also see what they missed last fall.<br>
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Boyd was one of the most versatile performers his first two seasons. The 6-foot-1 junior had enough speed to hit open holes along the line and showed a ``wow'' factor with some spectacular catches out of the backfield.<br>
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He was second on the team in 2004 in yards rushing with 309 and receptions with 35. With the winter dismissal of top rusher Demetris Summers, Boyd was expected to play a big part in Steve Spurrier's first Gamecock attack.<br>
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Then came Boyd's suspension, the details of which he still won't discuss. ``It really doesn't matter now, that was last year,'' Boyd says. ``I put it behind me. It's not too bad. It's over with.''<br>
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Boyd considered leaving school or transferring to a team closer to his home in Orange, N.J. He decided to stick with South Carolina, working with the scout team and then watching the Gamecocks' historic season with unprecedented wins over Tennessee and Florida.<br>
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``I never quit on things I start,'' Boyd said. ``I wanted to prove all my doubters wrong. I made a mistake, but I'm here now and I'm here to stay.''<br>
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Not that the suspension didn't have an affect. Boyd called it the worst thing he's gone through. He wanted to help as South Carolina piled up the unprecedented wins and put together a school-best five-game win streak in the Southeastern Conference.<br>
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At times, off the field was just as bad for Boyd. People around campus saw him differently. ``I've seen a lot of phony people. They really shaded away from me,'' he said. ``People I usually talked to, they really didn't talk to me the same way anymore. I accepted that.''<br>
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During time at home, Boyd's mother, grandmother and other family members urged him to find the smiling, overachieving Boyd, the one who played such a big role his first two years. ``They told me, keep my head up and get back to what I do best,'' he said, ``get back to me.''<br>
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That was evident after South Carolina began practicing Monday. Boyd laughed, smiled broadly and acted overjoyed to return. Perhaps it was discovering Spurrier's plans.<br>
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Despite coming into spring behind last year's starter, Mike Davis, Spurrier linked the two as starters, saying there were several formations both would be in the backfield at the same time.<br>
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Boyd ``took his punishment and didn't whimper and complain, and he's ready to go,'' Spurrier said. ``He's served his time.''<br>
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Boyd hopes to establish himself as South Carolina's top runner by the time of the spring game on April 8.<br>
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What does Boyd consider his biggest accomplishment during his year away? Not letting his detractors knock him astride.<br>
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``I'm a strong person, (but) there's only so much in life a man can take,'' he said. ``So I had to get away from all the negativity, all the naysayers and get back to myself.''<br>
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(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
