Family ties run deep for Lanett’s Qua Boyd

Former LaFayette quarterback coaches for rival Panthers

BY DANIEL SCHMIDT

THE LAFAYETTE SUN

CHAMBERS COUNTY — Separated by just 12 miles, the roots between LaFayette and Lanett grow deeper than the loblolly pines dotted alongside Alabama State Route 50.

The rivals share cousins, parents, in-laws and old friends. Families split their loyalties between the two competing shades of black and gold, and some of those yelling at each other from across the field on a Friday night will break bread days or even hours later.

Yet while there are countless examples to draw from, few have lived that divide more fully than Raquazious “Qua” Boyd.

Boyd, now an assistant coach for Lanett, starred at quarterback for LaFayette. His uncle, former Lanett head coach Clifford Story, and the namesake of the field the Panthers now play on, coached against him. 

His brother-in-law, Douglas Jones Jr., is also now the Bulldogs’ head coach.

Jones said Boyd’s value goes beyond family ties, pointing to his energy and football knowledge.

“He’s a great guy,” Jones said. “Not just because he’s family, but because of his personality and what he can bring to a team: the high energy and the amount of knowledge he has. I know for a fact that his impact at Lanett is well received.”

Jones confirmed the rivalry spilled over into the family’s group chat. Since Boyd’s wife is a Lanett alum, the couple was outnumbered when it came to the playful banter.

“It’s just those two against all the LaFayette alums,” Jones said. “It was a frenzy because it was everybody else against those two, but it’s all fun and games and nothing but love at the end.”

So when Lanett defeated LaFayette 63-6 on Sept. 25, the game was a family affair for Boyd from the pregame trash talk to the postgame hugs.

The ribbing started days before kickoff and ended with Boyd being momentarily booted from the family group chat.

“We get one week out of the whole year where we can just go at each other about Lanett and LaFayette,” Boyd said while laughing. “It’s a beautiful thing when you’ve got that much love that you can talk trash, and then when the clock hits zero, it’s all hugs and kisses.”

The win was the fourth LaFayette-Lanett game Boyd has coached in, and he said the family ties made last Friday’s edition by far his favorite yet.

“It meant a lot,” Boyd said. “Not only because I was coaching against LaFayette, but I’ve got family over there now.”

Although the final margin of victory was a little lopsided, Boyd said he was proud of the work Jones is doing at LaFayette and is excited about what the program has in store in the future.

“He’s trying to build that program up the way he wants, and I’m proud of him for that,” Boyd said. “This was probably my best one because it was a family thing. I had a lot of fun.”

Before he was a coach, Boyd was one of the best all-around athletes to come through LaFayette. 

Playing quarterback for Steve Coker, he once threw for 521 yards in a single game and was selected for the North-South All-Star Game. He also played basketball and baseball, where he threw a no-hitter, and ran track.

His favorite memory from those years is beating Lanett in back-to-back seasons, his sophomore and junior years.

“That was probably one of my most memorable things about playing the game, putting on the Bulldog uniform,” he said. “It’s always good to play Lanett. It’s always a big rivalry, and to beat them back to back — that meant something.”

It meant even more because his uncle was on the other sideline.

“It’s always been a family thing to me since I’ve been playing Lanett,” Boyd said. “It’s personal to me at all times.”

After graduating from LaFayette, Boyd’s career continued at Jones County Junior College in Mississippi. There he played quarterback, wide receiver and tight end, and he scored 11 rushing touchdowns as a wildcat quarterback.

He then moved on to the University of West Alabama and became one of the best tight ends in the Gulf South Conference. He earned All-America, all-region and All-GSC honors in each of his three seasons with the Tigers. 

He left West Alabama as the top receiving tight end in program history, and his 128 career catches ranked fifth on the school’s all-time list. In 2019, he was named to both the Gulf South Conference and West Alabama Teams of the Decade.

After college, Boyd tried out with a couple of professional teams. When that didn’t work out, he took a job in Montgomery. While sitting at his desk there one day, he had an epiphany and realized what he needed to do and where he belonged.

“I was like, man, I actually want to coach the game of football, because I love it, and I can put so much more into what I’m doing,” Boyd said.

Boyd said he first pursued an opening at LaFayette, but the school went in a different direction. So he reached out to Story, who brought him onto the Lanett staff before he stepped down as head coach.

“He gave me a shot,” Boyd said. “Now, man, I’m loving it.”

McDonald, who took over as Lanett’s head coach ahead of the 2024 season, said the fit with the program and Boyd has been a match made in heaven.

“It’s really a joy to have him, man,” McDonald said. “There are a lot of familial ties there, but he does a really good job for us. All of our coaches are just awesome. I’ve got such a good staff that continues to try to pour into these young men, and I just appreciate all of them. Coach Boyd does a great job for us, and does his job at a high clip.”

Boyd said his time at Lanett has taught him that coaching isn’t about him: it’s about the young men he’s entrusted with.

“Growing as a teacher, I’ve learned patience,” Boyd said. “Growing as a coach, I’ve learned that I’m not only out here for me. I’m out here for these boys. And man, I love these kids with everything in me.”

He tries to teach his players about life as well as football. He shares his own experiences so they can learn from them without having to go through the same things.

Some of the players on this year’s roster have been with Boyd since seventh grade. Watching them grow from junior high kids into upperclassmen has been one of the most rewarding parts of the job.

“It’s just a beautiful thing to see them grow,” Boyd said.

He also brought with him a value both schools share.

“At LaFayette, we’re big on family. Lanett is big on family too,” Boyd said. “So I took what I learned from LaFayette and college and brought it to Lanett.”