 "Photo: Gregory Greene / Courtesy Photo")
Right before UNH's annual spring football scrimmage, the team gathers to select its captains for the upcoming season. This past spring, one of those selected to lead the Wildcats was senior wide receiver and punt return specialist Mike Boyle. The soft-spoken Boyle, as he often does, credits his teammates for getting him to that position. "It was a very humbling experience," said Boyle while preparing for the Wildcats' home opener against Albany this Saturday. "My teammates voted for me to be their leader, and the fact that the younger guys want to look up to me to be their leader was special." Boyle is the pride of Plymouth, N.H., a college town rabid about high school football. The 5-foot-8-inch speedster has been making opposing defensive coordinators cringe for years. But now as a senior captain, Boyle is more focused on his team's success than his own. When Boyle arrived at UNH in 2004 his name was already a familiar one for followers of New Hampshire high school athletics. He starred on the gridiron for legendary coach Chuck Lenahan's Plymouth Regional High School Bobcats. Boyle, who mostly played quarterback at Plymouth, never lost a game during his high school football career and won four consecutive Division III championships. He was also a star shortstop for the Bobcats' baseball team each spring. "This was the highest football level that was interested in me," said Boyle. "I had some interest from some small NESAC schools. But I came down and visited, and I knew that UNH was right for me." UNH head coach Sean McDonnell had Boyle redshirt in 2004, and in 2005 he began to establish himself as one of the premiere punt return specialists in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (then I-AA). His return touchdown against Colgate in the '05 NCAA playoffs earned him a spot on that night's "Top 10 Plays" on "SportsCenter." Boyle was limited to only seven games during the 2006 campaign because of injuries, and similar circumstances prevented him from some action in 2007. Despite the incredible frustration of often spending more time in the trainer's room than on the football field, Boyle has not allowed injury troubles to dampen his overall spirits. "It's tough to be down on myself when the team plays so well," said Boyle, referring to the Wildcats' success in making the FCS playoffs each of the last four seasons. "It teaches you about the idea of 'team first, you second.' In the end, injuries are a part of the game. You can't worry about things you can't control." In 2008 Boyle has been able to stay on the field, much to the chagrin of UNH's opposition. Through two games Boyle leads the Wildcats in catches (13), receiving yards (189), and receiving touchdowns (2). "So far we've had a good start," he said. "Everything has meshed well, and I think it all started over the summer. The chemistry we built up came from that. We work hard as a group, and we're looking to keep that going." Boyle has the rare privilege of getting to play college football not far from where he grew up, and he takes pride knowing he's representing his home state each time he takes the field. "There's a great sense of home," he explained. "I know the people that come to watch me, and they know me. It's also an opportunity to show kids from New Hampshire can play football at this level." Boyle is thinking about getting into coaching after he graduates next spring. He also takes pride in what he's learned from his own coaches through the years, namely the aforementioned Lenahan and McDonnell. "The valuable lessons I've taken from them are work ethic and discipline. Both of them are big on hard work and effort, and those things alone will carry over into the rest of life itself. Being dog-tired on the field and being able to pick yourself up; those things are important."
Boyle does not seem interested in a personal legacy at UNH. He wants people to remember what UNH football accomplished, and not what Mike Boyle accomplished.
"It's more of a team thing," said Boyle of any potential legacy. "I want to leave the fact that I went out there and won games with my teammates, that it was a collaborative effort. No one person put themselves above the team. I hope the things I've done have been passed down, and that I've done it the right way."
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