From walk-on to team leader, Isaac Bunyun epitomizes Maryland football’s culture shift

Written By ApurbaDa October 11, 2023 Add Comment

Isaac Bunyun (57) didn’t play football until high school, but was able to walk on to Maryland’s football team before eventually earning a scholarship. | Brieanna Andrews/Maryland Terrapins

The Ghanaian has become one of Maryland football’s leading personalities.

On his first day of high school, Isaac Bunyun was tasked with deciding whether he’d play soccer, the sport he played since a child, or football.

It didn’t take long for him to tell his father, James, that he wanted to prove his chops on the gridiron.

“So the following day,” Bunyun’s father said, “I wrote a letter to the coach, saying ‘Listen, please, my son just came from Africa. Let him take his time to study this game.’”

For those who know Bunyun, his ability to listen and mentor stands out, and it’s carried over to his time as a defensive lineman at Maryland. He was already doing it in his first few weeks playing football, as it was ingrained in him by his father — a social worker and the first person in Bunyun’s immediate family to move to the United States from Ghana.

“I told him when he was a boy, that with the way he listens, he’s someone who can correct his mistakes when you when you talk to him,” Bunyun’s father said.

Prioritizing both academics and football, Bunyun excelled both on the field and in the classroom at High Point High School in Beltsville, Maryland. Not only was he a two-time Prince George’s County All-Star, but also the runner-up to valedictorian in his class.

“Isaac had discipline. He had the discipline as a player in always wanting to do things the right way,” Wilbert Brinson Jr., Bunyun’s high school football coach, said. “... Whatever the program required, Isaac responded with unrelenting effort and the proper attitude, which became a standard of excellence for his teammates.”

Bunyun’s father questioned whether his son could excel at football while still prioritizing academics in college. But, embracing the challenge, Bunyun walked on to the Maryland football team as a freshman, and after two years he found himself appearing in all but two of Terps’ games as a scholarship player.

Isaac Bunyun lines up opposite Towson’s offensive line in Maryland football’s 2023 season opener.

Soon after making the team, Bunyun was elected to be a part of the Terps’ 10-man leadership council after sitting back, learning from and listening to team leaders. This year, he was named to the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, a group of eight student-athletes at the university.

“[Bunyun] is one of those guys that ... even when he came in as a walk-on, he didn’t present himself as a walk-on. He’s been a leader from day one,” Maryland head coach Mike Locksley said.

In the current climate of college football, players come and go with the transfer portal and that need for mentorship is even larger. After the 2021 season, when 15 Maryland players entered the portal, Bunyun was reminded of his priorities.

“I know your friends are leaving. Don’t be a copycat, be yourself,” Bunyun’s father told him. “Stay at Maryland, get your degree, get your masters.”

Bunyun heeded that advice, reflecting on the past but worrying only about how to better the present. He now finds himself having a role immensely important to what Locksley is trying to build both on and off the field.

“Issac has the right attitude toward leadership. His authentic care and concern for the success of the Maryland program and his teammate’s success is why he’s been able to become one of the leaders at Maryland,” Brinson Jr. said.

Bunyun is also a key figure in the Terps’ community outreach. For the past two years, he has participated in the Best Buddies Maryland Friendship Walk for Inclusivity, where he and other teammates help advocate for inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

He also makes sure to frequently visit his high school, often giving talks to the team about his experiences as someone who made it to a Power Five school as a first-generation American.

“I am so, so proud of Isaac. For what he does in the community and with his teammates,” Bunyun’s father said. “I know how hard he has had to work.”

Bunyun is making an impact on and off the field, at the forefront of Maryland football’s changing culture.

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