Don Boyett

Offensive Center (1960-61)

Don Boyett was born and raised in Lake City, Florida.  He attended Columbia County High School, where he was a three-year varsity football letterman, playing defensive tackle and offensive center.  His senior year, Don was captain of the football team and voted Most Valuable Player.  Coach Dean Pryor recruited Don to attend Coffeyville Junior College in 1960.

At Coffeyville, Don started as center both freshman and sophomore seasons.   In 1961, Don was honored with the Wayne Hittle Award, presented to the outstanding sophomore lineman, was First Team Jayhawk Juco All-Conference center and captain of the team which finished the season second in the conference with a 9-2 record.  That same year he also threw the javelin for Coach Pryor’s track team.  After the 1961 season, Don followed Coach Pryor to Wichita, Kansas, to play for Wichita State University.  Don started as offensive center his first year at Wichita, where he was one-of-three Shockers placed on the All Missouri Valley Team.  After suffering a career-ending concussion before the start of the 1963 football season, Don remained at Wichita State University where he was  a student assistant coach his senior year.

After graduation from WSU in 1964 with B.S. degree in Education, he joined Coach Pryor’s staff at Hastings College in Hastings, Nebraska, where he was appointed the offensive line coach.

After receiving his draft notice during the 1965 football season, Don joined the Army but was able to defer reporting for duty until January 1966.  He served two years in the Army, reaching the rank of sergeant.

In September 1968, Don resumed his coaching career at Oxford High School in Oxford, Kansas, where he was head coach for three years.  The third year his team won the South Central Kansas conference championship.

Don received his Master’s of Education degree from WSU.  He moved his family to MacClenny, Florida in 1971, and was the defensive coach for the Baker County High School Wildcats.  After two years, Don moved to Mulberry, Florida, as defensive coordinator with the Mulberry Panthers.  They went to the state playoffs in 1973.

Don taught school 29 years in Baker County as a teacher of history, government, and vocational special education and retired in 2003.  Don met his wife, Sharon (Bradford), while attending Coffeyville College.  They have been married for 42 years and have two children, Anne and David.