In October, when the Washington Commanders fell behind by three points against the Chicago Bears with 25 seconds left, many fans began to depart Northwest Stadium.
The task felt even more daunting when the Commanders were situated on their own 48-yard-line with two seconds on the clock.
Despite the long odds, Spotsylvania County resident, Stephen Boyd, known as the Commanders’ “Rally Captain,” took the opportunity to provide play-by-play of the final sequence.
“Look at them. They’re going crazy. They’re going crazy,” Boyd said of Bears fans believing their team had won the game. “I’d be the exact same way.”
Boyd then focused his camera on Chicago defensive back Tyrique Stevenson waving goodbye and taunting Washington fans.
Anyone who followed Washington throughout this magical season knows what happened next: rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels launched a Hail Mary. The pass was tipped by Stevenson before landing in the waiting arms of wide receiver Noah Brown for an unreal 18-15 victory.
Boyd repeatedly shouted, “Oh my God!” and “It’s our year” as Washington fans around him celebrated.
His Instagram post documenting that moment went viral, generating more than one million views.
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“I kept saying, ‘All we need is a little bit of a chance. Just throw it up. Just throw it up,’” Boyd recalled. “And sure enough, it happened right in front of me.”
Spotsylvania County resident Stephen Boyd, the Washington Commanders’ unofficial ‘Rally Captain’ is pictured here with Washington’s NFL Hall of Fame cornerback Darrell Green. (Photo courtesy of Stephen Boyd)
Boyd has not missed one minute of the Commanders’ storybook season. Decked out in Commanders’ apparel (including a chain with a large ‘W’) and repeating his motto of “Rep it hard or don’t rep it at all,” Boyd’s attended every home and away game of the 2024-25 season, just as he’s done every year since 2014.
He’ll be at Lincoln Financial Field Sunday at 3 p.m. when the Commanders visit the Philadelphia Eagles in Washington’s first NFC Championship game appearance since 1991.
His company, SB Events, filled four buses with fans who hope to root on the Commanders to the franchise’s sixth Super Bowl appearance. But, to do so, they’ll have to win in what’s expected to be a hostile environment.
“A lot of people have asked me, ‘Is it really as rough as they say in Philadelphia?’” Boyd said. “Philadelphia has that huge stigma. I just tell people, ‘You just have to have your ignore game on 100 because they aren’t going to say any words that you haven’t already heard in your life, and you’re not going to fight 50,000 people. So, let them say what they’re going to say and keep walking.’”
By this point, Boyd is adept at dealing with opposing fans. He’s visited 31 of 32 NFL stadiums. The lone exception is Heinz Field, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Washington visited Pittsburgh in 2020, but the number of fans was limited because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said Dallas, Las Vegas, Minnesota and Los Angeles offer some of the best game-day experiences.
Boyd has endured plenty of lean years since purchasing season tickets in 2012 but never considered withdrawing his support of the team. It doesn’t hurt that he likes to travel, eat new foods and wants to complete his goal of visiting every pro stadium.
“Winning the game is like the icing on the cake,” he said. “But being able to eat new foods, meet new people, see new things and travel to new places, sometimes that’s the cake itself.”
Boyd’s met every member of the Washington ownership group except NBA Hall of Fame point guard Earvin “Magic” Johnson.
He’s engaged with players and their families. He’s also become familiar with fans in other cities, including a memorable encounter in Detroit before the Commanders defeated the Lions last week.
“None of their fans gave us a chance,” Boyd said. “I went to a restaurant on Saturday afternoon and this guy saw us wearing our Commanders gear. He was bold. He said, ‘You guys aren’t going to come close. I’ll spot you 15 points. I made a video about it. I said, ‘Oh, the level of disrespect!’ And you know the outcome.”
Boyd’s admiration of Washington began in 1988 when former quarterback, Doug Williams, now a senior adviser for the franchise, became the first Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl after he led the team to a 42-10 victory over the Denver Broncos.
Boyd was living in Atlanta at the time. He attended a Super Bowl party with his father where the host expressed doubt that a Black quarterback could win the big game.
“I was saying, ‘Why is that?’” Boyd recalled. “He was basically downing the intelligence of the Black quarterback.”
Boyd’s family moved to Alexandria when his father, who served in the Army, was stationed at the Pentagon. As an adult, Boyd purchased a home in Spotsylvania in 2003.
“I remember when there was just one Walmart,” he said.
Boyd is hoping to return to New Orleans for the Super Bowl in two weeks. He was there on Dec. 15 when the Commanders defeated the Saints 20-19.
He said he began to believe Washington was in for a special season after a 38-33 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in the third game of the year, when the rookie Daniels amassed 293 total yards and three touchdowns.
He’s confident the Commanders can defeat Philadelphia for a second time this season.
“I feel as though Philadelphia can be beaten,” Boyd said. “At this juncture, I don’t feel there’s any team we can’t beat if we play our game.”
