California high school football head coach steps down after nine years
David Schuster steps down as head coach of Mission Prep football after nine seasons.
Camryn Bynum, a former Corona Centennial star and current Colts player, signed a $60-million contract and will host a youth camp at his high school on May 23. He emphasizes dedication and hard work as keys to success in football.
Former Corona Centennial defensive back Camryn Bynum (24) in 2015. He now plays for the Colts. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
For teenagers dreaming of playing in the NFL, former Corona Centennial high defensive back Camryn Bynum has first-hand knowledge of what it takes. It involves more than a star ranking or posting videos on social media.
āIt's a simple formula to make it to where you want to go,ā said Bynum, who recently signed a $60-million contract with the Indianapolis Colts and will be holding a youth camp at his alma mater on May 23.
āIt's just hard to stay on the right track and do every single thing to the best of your ability and consistently do everything the right way," he said. "You play a few good years of high school ball, you'll get a chance to play college ball. If you become a starter, maybe one or two years and play well enough, you'll get a chance at the league, whether you get drafted in the first round, like everybody wants to, or you you're an undrafted free agent. If you get your foot in the door, there's hundreds of stories about people getting in.ā
Bynum says thereās a big sacrifice that many teenagers are unwilling to accept. Itās called avoiding distractions at all costs. At least it worked for him. He didnāt start on varsity until his junior year. He became a four-year starter at Cal, was a fourth-round draft pick of the Vikings, who immediately told him heās switching from cornerback to safety. He was ready for anything.
āI think the best way to reach the point where you want to go is to stay distraction free," he said. "Stay working towards that goal and don't let anything come in between. That's been the biggest part of my journey, my faith, and being able to just trust that God will put me exactly where I need to be, but also putting in the work myself knowing that if I want to play college ball, I need to keep my grades up in high school, stay away from all the distractions, the parties, the drinking, the drugs, like a lot of people unfortunately fall into.ā
Camryn Bynum recently signed a $60-million contract with the Indianapolis Colts.
Camryn Bynum's youth camp is scheduled for May 23 at his alma mater, Corona Centennial High School.
Camryn Bynum played as a defensive back at Corona Centennial High School.
Camryn Bynum advises aspiring NFL players to stay dedicated, work hard, and consistently do everything the right way.
David Schuster steps down as head coach of Mission Prep football after nine seasons.
Cowboys rookies struggle with conditioning at minicamp, leading to vomiting.
76ers and Paul George's birthday create Game 7 excitement
Tennessee baseball signee Michael Teasley earns Pitcher of the Year honors!

UFC Fight Night 275 recap: Carlos Prates makes history with a win!
Andy Reid sees LeSean McCoy-like qualities in Chiefs rookie Emmett Johnson.
See every story in Sports ā including breaking news and analysis.
His first major test was dealing with adversity. He started on JSerraās freshman team, then transferred back home to Centennial. He said he was fifth string on the JV team. āI was literally not playing,ā he said. He gave serious consideration to leaving. But Centennial coach Matt Logan and others made it clear he had to earn his playing time.
Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (87) is tackled by Minnesota Vikings safety Camryn Bynum in 2024. (Paul Sancya / Associated Press)
āCoach Logan, he's like, āNo, you gotta work. You gotta work, figure it out and grind. You're good. You're plenty good enough, but you have to earn your spot.ā And I remember a few other coaches telling me, āIt's all up to you, if you want to put the work in and you want to compete, This is a competitive program, you got to figure out how to earn your playing time.āā
Bynum went to a private coach and started training morning and night. He became stronger, faster and more confident. As a junior, he became a standout. He still uses that same private coach, Jordan Brown, in his training.
Bynum, born to a Filipino mother, now lives in the offseason with his Filipino wife and young daughter on the outskirts of Manila.
Asked if Manila traffic is worse than Los Angeles traffic, he said, āThey're both pretty bad. They're just bad in different ways.ā
His first youth camp will help raise funds for his foundation that is supporting causes such as teaching flag football in the Philippines. The camp will be for youth and high school-age players and provide a vehicle for exposure along with football development.
āWe want it to be a learning environment and a competitive environment to help kids get recruited and be seen more,ā Bynum said.
Just remember the path is simple but the road blocks are many to overcome.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.