The team's quiet offensive leader, Boyd made noise pounding the ball up the middle of the line for the Gamecocks. He is a very physical inside runner who could provide an NFL backfield with the "thunder" it needs to gain tough inside yardage. He is proven to be one of the best pass-catching running backs in the college ranks.

Boyd gained 2,267 yards rushing and 1,303 yards receiving during his time at South Carolina. He joined Stanley Pritchett (1,178 rushing and 1,097 receiving, 1992-95) as the only players in school history in the 1,000-1,000 club. On a struggling offense the last two years, Boyd was one of the team's few bright spots, producing 17 touchdowns on the ground and three more receiving since returning to the team from his one-year suspension in 2005.

At Orange High School, Boyd competed as a defensive back and running back for head coach Randy Daniel. He was rated the 12th-best overall prospect in the state of New Jersey by Rivals.com and the 21st-best defensive back in the country by Super Prep. He rushed for 1,535 yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior, adding 1,785 yards and 22 scores on the ground during his junior campaign. He also recorded eight interceptions his junior season while playing safety.

Boyd earned South Carolina Freshman of the Year honors in 2003, playing tailback and on special teams as a true freshman in 2003. He ranked fourth on the squad with 232 yards and three touchdowns on 58 carries (4.0-yard average). He also snared 11 passes for 145 yards (13.2-yard average), including one score.

As a sophomore, Boyd split time between tailback and fullback. He finished second on the team with 309 yards on 62 rushes (5.0-yard average) and three touchdowns. He also placed second on the squad with 35 receptions for 347 yards (9.9-yard average) and a score. On special teams, he posted two solo tackles and fielded a short kickoff for a nine-yard return.

After serving his season-long suspension in 2005, Boyd returned to the team with renewed vigor. He won a heated battle for the tailback position, going on to start all 24 contests he played in over the next two years. He led the team with 164 carries for 823 yards (5.0-yard average), scoring eight times on the ground in 2005. He ranked third on the team with 35 catches for 406 yards (11.6-yard avg) and a pair of scores. He also saw some action on special teams, as he returned four kickoffs for 64 yards (16.0-yard avg).

Quarterback problems plagued the South Carolina offense in 2007, but Boyd again led the team with 180 rushes for 903 yards (5.0-yard average), as his nine touchdown runs rank tied for sixth on the school's single-season list. He finished second on the squad after hauling in a career-high 36 passes for 405 yards (11.2-yard average) and a score, as he amassed 1,308 all-purpose yards, an average of 109.0 yards per game.

In 46 games at South Carolina, Boyd started 27 contests. He collected 2,267 yards with 23 touchdowns on 464 carries (4.9-yard average). He grabbed 117 passes for 1,303 yards (11.1 avg) and five more scores. He returned five kickoffs for 73 yards (14.6 avg) and totaled 168 points.

Positives: Has good upper-body muscle tone with broad shoulders, thick chest, developed arms and legs, big bubble and good calf and ankle thickness … Runs a bit too erect coming out of his stance, but has enough looseness in his hips to sink his pads on contact … More of a north-south runner, but has a good feel for the cutback lanes and does a very good job of squaring his shoulders and running behind his pads … Patient runner who follows his blocks well and has the functional lateral agility to sidestep trash … An instinctive downhill runner with the vision to read blocks … Shows quickness into and out of the hole … Has the ability to stick his foot in the ground and make jump cuts in traffic … Smart player who needs just minimal reps to retain information … Shows alertness and awareness to the sticks and boundaries … Tough and physical back who dishes out as much punishment as his body will allow … Has been durable throughout his career and is the type who will perform with aches and pains … Leads by example … Has inline quickness to juke defenders and displays adequate quickness and acceleration to the hole, hitting it with power … Has the athletic ability and quickness to bounce runs to the outside when needed … Breaks tackles and can run over cornerbacks and safeties once he gets into the second level … Runs with the ball tightly secured to his pads in traffic … Appears to have natural hands as a receiver … Even though he is used mostly as a check-down receiver and on middle screens, he is quite effective lining up as a bubble receiver on screen plays … Possesses good hands and shows flexibility to make shoelace catches as a safety valve … Extends to make catches on screens and can swing out of the backfield to extend and high-point the ball … As a blocker, he will use a generous shoulder lift for pop and will not hesitate to engage blitzers head-on … Steps up and butts defenders, using his hands effectively to pop with shock and slides to mirror for sustained blocks … His work habits on and off field have improved since his 2005 suspension … Runs hard under his pads and is an effective red-zone performer, with the body lean to fall forward for extra yardage after the tackle … Has the frame to add more bulk, if a team desires to convert him into a fullback or short-yardage runner … Has the loose hips to redirect and spin away from the crowd and uses a strong stiff-arm to break tackles when the hole is being squeezed.

Negatives: Lowers his pads on contact, but coming off the snap, he gets too erect out of his stance, negating his explosiveness into the crease … Does not take well to hard coaching and problems with maturity in the past led to his 2005 suspension … Can bounce to the outside, but won't win many foot races in the open, as he lacks the second gear to separate … Can make one or two cuts, but is not going to surprise a defender with moves to elude … Good blocker, but will go through stretches where he seems bothered by the duty … Had dropped some bulk to prepare for the NFL Scouting Combine, but is better playing in the 220-225 pound range, as his game is predicated on power, not elusiveness … Will play with pain, but his erect stance has led to injuries -- he's battled minor hand, abdomen and ankle issues.

Compares To: OLANDIS GARY-ex-Denver … Boyd is an efficient north-south runner with some hip shake and lateral agility to redirect to the cutback lanes, but lacks explosion coming out of his stance, the result of getting too erect before dropping his pads at contact. He is a capable safety-valve type receiver or as a receiver on screens out of the backfield. He will never win a foot race in the open field and needs to add more bulk to his frame. He runs hot and cold as a blocker, but some teams could look to use him like Justin Griffith as a "tweener" fullback, a position he has experience playing earlier in his career.

2006: Suffered a high ankle sprain vs. Wofford (9/16), sitting out the next week vs. Florida Atlantic (9/23) … Started, but left the Arkansas game (11/04) early in the first quarter with a stomach virus.

Campus: 4.51 in the 40-yard dash … 350-pound bench press … 465-pound squat … 4.25 20-yard shuttle … 34 ½-inch vertical jump … 31 ½-inch arm length … 9 3/8-inch hands.

Agility Tests

Combine: 4.52 in the 40-yard dash … 1.52 10-yard dash … 2.58 20-yard dash … 4.24 20-yard shuttle … 12.08 60-yard shuttle … 6.97 three-cone drill … 33 ½-inch vertical jump … 9'10" broad jump … Bench pressed 225 pounds 25 times.

Attended Orange (N.J.) High School, where he competed as a defensive back and running back for head coach Randy Daniel … Rated the 12th-best overall prospect in the state of New Jersey by Rivals.com and the 21st-best defensive back in the country by Super Prep. He rushed for 1,535 yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior, adding 1,785 yards and 22 scores on the ground during his junior campaign … Also recorded eight interceptions his junior season while playing safety.

Graduated in December, 2007 with a degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management … Born Cory J. Boyd on 8/06/85 … Resides in Orange, New Jersey.