There's an iconic flag that's appeared at every Commanders game since 2014. You won't find it waving on a pole or unfurled on a field. Instead, it is held for hours in someone's hands.
"It's an icebreaker. Sometimes people want to take pictures more so with the flag than with me," Stephen Boyd said. "Each time I go to a new stadium, I get it embroidered."
The number of stadiums on Boyd's flag sits at 31, with the last new venue penned following Washington's game in Madrid last month. It doesn't matter the location; if the Burgundy & Gold is playing, Stephen "Rally Captain" Boyd will cross oceans and move mountains to be there. For over a decade, the 2025 Commanders' Fan of the Year has been a can't-miss constant among the Burgundy & Gold faithful, energizing thousands and generating community with his passion for and commitment to Washington football.
Born into a military family in St. Louis, Boyd didn't have a strong allegiance to a football team growing up. In high school, however, after a move to Atlanta, the story of Washington's trailblazing quarterback at the time piqued his interest.
"When Doug Williams won the Super Bowl, that started my fandom with the Redskins," Boyd explained.
As a young African American man, watching Williams' squash prejudiced stereotypes and overcome adversity on his way to making history was particularly inspiring. Shortly after, the Boyd family moved to Alexandria, Virginia, for his father's work. Boyd's fandom blossomed, but for nearly two decades, going to games wasn't a part of his life. At that point where his priorities were, the in-person gameday experience was cost prohibitive. Then, in 2011, came a turning point.
"I actually went on a trip through a work party to Dallas to see us play at the new stadium, and I immediately fell in love with going games on the road," Boyd said.
He was hooked. So hooked, in fact, that he started organizing his own trips.
"And then in 2012 I decided, 'I'm going to do this on my own,' and I put a trip together that started off with seven people, and then 2013 that seven people grew to 90," Boyd said. "One of the young ladies on the trip, she says, 'You know, I'm not going to call you Stephen. I see you how you rally all of us together to go on this trip. Your new name is going to be Rally Captain.' I didn't pay much attention to it, but it stuck."
"Rally Captain" evolved from a nickname to a persona. With his self-starter mentality and contagious energy, Boyd brought disparate Washington fans from the DMV and beyond into a single powerful entity when the Burgundy & Gold was playing away.
Around this same time, Boyd also started to establish himself at home games and became a season ticket holder. With his reputation on the rise soon came a pull to move into the heart of the action at Northwest Stadium.
"People were saying, 'Well, we see you on the road, but we really don't see you at the home games. You should think about moving your seat.' A dream seat became available, and I moved down," Boyd said. "At the time, dream seats were basically four feet away from the field. So, in this particular seat, the TV cameras would always capture me. People just started saying, 'I saw Rally Captain,' and it just became this huge thing to where we are today."
The legend grew. Over the years, more identifiable characteristics of the Rally Captain persona developed. The customized hat and jeans. The "W" chain. The flag. Even a tagline: "Rep it hard or don't rep it at all."
Rep it hard he has. Since 2014, rain or shine, in sickness and health, Boyd has been to every Washington game. At this point, the home-away game split is likely rather even. However, the road games -- the opportunity that first captivated him -- continues to be a special touchpoint for Boyd.
"Of course winning the game is icing on the cake, but the mere fact that I was able to travel to a new city, I was able to meet new people, I was able to see new things, try new foods. It means that I still ate cake," Boyd said.
Giving out slices of the cake is where Rally Captain finds true joy. He has long been the kind of person always thinking about others. It's part of why he wanted to work in the federal government. It's what calls him to donate blood every eight weeks. It's what's made him lead fan trips with as many as 200 people through his company, SB Events, and be the face of road rallies on behalf of the Commanders. Boyd has transformed what many once looked at as a quick sports stop into an experience within a city about community.
"It's more than just a football game, it's an adventure. That's how I look at it," Boyd said.
Mobilizing a force on the road has an impact on many. Commanders fans notice. Coaches and players notice.
"I think about the away game in Phoenix last season, it was almost like a home game," Boyd said. "Coach Quinn even talked about it, and he said it felt like being at our stadium. We even cause them to have a couple of false starts. So, when you can do that on the road, it excites your fan base and the team."
Even fans of other teams notice.
"Meeting Stephen is like meeting the heartbeat of Commanders nation in human form," Vikings fan Darrick Mitchell said.
Home or away, Boyd averages about four or five miles a gameday, interacting with fans all over. He's developed a ritual of broadcasting a pregame talk, halftime report and postgame analysis on his channels.
Boyd has his gameday routine down pat, but a delightful surprise came up in his regimen on November 2 during a visit to the set of Command Center Gameday Live. With the help of Santana Moss and Brian Mitchell, host Bryan Colbert Jr. announced Boyd as the Commanders' 2025 Fan of the Year.
"I can't believe this, man, this is incredible," an emotional Boyd said following the surprise. "I do everything for the fans. I do everything for you guys out there."
While the Rally Captain persona may have exaggerated elements, it's entirely genuine. What's motored it from the beginning is Boyd's core self, which is all about bringing people together and serving others. By being authentic, he has energized countless fans and forged bonds that people cherish week in and week out. This year's nomination is just a cherry on top of the cake.
"I'm very proud and honored to hold the title," Boyd said. "I never set out to me FOTY if you will. I was just doing me."
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