Stephen Boyd

Stephen Boyd (4 July 1931 – 2 June 1977) was an actor from Glengormley, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. He appeared in some 60 films, most notably as Messala in Ben-Hur.

Biography

Boyd was born William Millar in 1931. One of nine siblings, he attended Ballyclare High School. He starred in a radio play in Belfast and worked at a cinema in London. He is said to have busked outside the cinema to get money. Boyd caught his first break while ushering at the Leicester Square Cinema during the British Academy Awards in the early 1950s. During the awards ceremony he was noticed by actor Michael Redgrave, who used his connections to introduce Boyd to the director of the Windsor Repertory Group. Boyd's first role which brought him acclaim was as an Irish spy in the movie The Man Who Never Was, based on the book by Ewen Montagu. The movie was released in 1956. Shortly thereafter he signed a contract with Twentieth Century Fox.

Stephen Boyd (American football)

Stephen Gerard Boyd (born August 22, 1972) is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League. He was a two time Pro Bowl selection at middle linebacker for the Detroit Lions. He was selected in the fifth round of the 1995 NFL Draft out of Boston College, the 141st selection, where he started for four seasons.

Early years

Boyd played his high school football for Valley Stream Central High School (Valley Stream, NY) for Coach Dan Tronolone, where he led the Eagles to the 1989 Nassau County Conference II Championship. In 1994 he was elected the ECAC Player of the Year. As a senior at Boston College, he was invited to play in the 1994 East-West Shrine Game and the 1994 Hula Bowl.

Professional career

1995-1997

As a rookie in the NFL, he backed up legendary All-Pro middle linebacker Chris Spielman. When Spielman left the Lions for the Buffalo Bills in 1996, Boyd became the starter and an integral part of the defense for the next six seasons. In 1997, Boyd paced the Lions with 192 tackles leading Detroit to the NFC Wild Card game for the second time in three seasons. He was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week (8/31) in the season opener when he scored his first career touchdown on a 42 yard fumble recovery, and set up the game winning TD with his first career interception. He also led the team with 15 tackles that game.

Stephen Boyd (disambiguation)

Stephen Boyd was an actor.

Stephen Boyd may also refer to: