Northampton grad Billy Boyko is happy to be back on the field for Lehigh

FROM KEITH GROLLER

Lehigh junior linebacker Billy Boyko is a tough guy.

For relaxation and fun, the Northampton High graduate is a drag racer. A good one, too.
But even tough guys need to know when to back off.

That's what Boyko did after suffering a mild concussion in Lehigh's season opener on Sept. 3 at Monmouth.

He missed the next two games and didn't return until Sept. 24 against Liberty.

"It was very frustrating because you lose your head and it's very hard to concentrate," Boyko said. "This was the second time I had a concussion. I also had one as a freshman here at Lehigh.

"It's like an ongoing headache caused by a chemical inbalance in your brain. It's not good."

Boyko was appreciative of the care and precautions he received.

"Mine was a mild concussion," he said. "I didn't get knocked out or anything like that. Ten years ago, they would have put me right back on the field."

Boyko said the injury happened not on defense, but on the kickoff coverage team.

"It was very frustrating to be out because I was looking forward to this season," he said. "I tried to stay calm and just do what it took to get better. I am glad to be back now."

So is everybody associated with the Lehigh program.
Boyko (seen at the right making a tackle in a 2010 game against Princeton) is coming off one of the best games of his career, a 13-tackle effort at Colgate on Saturday that featured a 14-yard sack.

On the season, he has 28 tackles -- just under 5 per game -- with two for losses and a fumble recovery.

"I had a couple of plays where I messed up on Saturday but I tried to fix that and just play relaxed," he said. "I wasn't satisfied until the clock turned to zeroes and we were leading."

Boyko said the last three games of the regular season -- Holy Cross, Georgetown and Lafayette -- will be major challenges.

"Colgate ran the ball a lot which I liked because I like playing run defense the best," he said. "But Holy Cross is a passing team. They have two guys with at least 40 catches. We just have to take it one play at a time and go out and play like we can play."

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