TAMPA, Fla. — Former USF standout Dwayne Boyles isn't shy about sharing his ultimate football goal. After being selected by the Vegas Vipers in last weekend's XFL draft, the Miami native tweeted out a bold prediction:
"Ima be in the Super Bowl. Y’all screenshot this rn"
"I have my faith in God. I pray to Him every single day. He’s brought me so far along," the former Bulls linebacker explained. "And I believe just as long as I stay focused on my path and what I believe in, I will make it to where I want to be at. That was my idea about that tweet.
Bowles, one of the best players on a team that struggled last season, was invited to Buccaneers minicamp this offseason. Tampa Bay released Boyles, but that didn't shake his spirit.
"I gained a lot of confidence there. I got some feedback that I did a really good job at the rookie minicamp," he explained. "I should just keep on pushing forward. Keep on working hard, and my time will come."
Vegas Director of Player Personnel Joey Clinkscales ran the draft for the franchise. He said despite USF's overall struggles, Boyles put together enough impressive game film for the Vipers to take a chance.
"He showed he was a player that had some leadership ability that galvanized things on his side of the ball. And he was impactful on their defense," Clinkscales explained. "I don’t know if I’ve met a South Florida kid, on tape, that wasn’t competitive. So those are things that innately come out about this player."
The XFL is home to many players who know the game of football only offers a certain number of chances. So it's important to take advantage of the situation—whether it's your first chance or your last.
"This is a league of opportunity. This is another opportunity for him to reach his ultimate goal, which is to play in the NFL," Clinkscales explained when discussing Boyles' potential. "Being able to show things that he wasn’t able to show in minicamp."
As he prepares for the next chapter of his life, Boyles said he's working just as hard off the field as he is between the lines.
"Spiritually, I want to get closer to God, as well. So I’m on this path of finding Him and getting so much closer to Him," Dwayne added. "I feel like if I keep on chasing Him, great things are going to happen for me."
And he might look back on his tweet as an accurate forecast of his future.
