During a circuit drill in the Maryland football team’s practice Aug. 18, defensive back Denzel Conyers felt his foot slip as he tried to shed one of his blockers. He fell headfirst into one of the offensive linemen, and the rest became a whirlwind as he was carted off the field, taken to the hospital in an ambulance and treated for a concussion.
“Just one of those freak things in football,” Conyers said. “It’s a very violent game, and it just happened to me.”
The senior followed the team’s protocol and returned to win one of the starting safety spots, but the injury added another turn in Conyers’ winding college career.
His next stop comes Friday night in Miami, where the Terps face Florida International, the program Conyers committed to out of high school. He’ll play in his home state for the first time since his teenage years, an opportunity he and the 12 other Terps who hail from Florida cherish.
“It’s going to be a great feeling,” Conyers said. “It’s going to be a thrill to play in front of my family back home and play with my family here.”
When he suffered the concussion three weeks ago, Conyers received countless text messages and calls from his family and friends. The show of support, Conyers said, helped him begin the rehabilitation process that saw him return to the field and start at safety in Week 1.
The training staff led him in neck exercises to loosen his muscles. Playing in the defensive backfield, Conyers knew he had to regain that mobility for the times he snaps his head around to track the ball.
As it came time to return to portions of practice after passing the team’s protocol, Conyers, who said the injury was initially scary, had little inhibition. He was just happy to be back with his teammates.
He was excited for the team’s home opener against Howard last weekend, but perhaps more so for the Terps’ clash with the Panthers.
While he committed to Florida International out of Boca Ciega High School, he instead enrolled at Butte Community College in California in hopes of improving his academics. He came to Maryland before the 2014 season, but he sat out the year while academically ineligible.
“It was a wake-up call,” Conyers said. “It helped me mature very fast and take life seriously.”
When he suited up last season, he moved from defensive back to linebacker to fit the former coaching staff’s scheme. Under coach DJ Durkin, he’s returned to safety.
He’s one of seven defensive backs from Florida, and in the unit’s meetings, the players joke about their hometown bond.
“Florida boys,” defensive back Will Likely said, “we’re taking over Maryland.”
Conyers expects to have about 20 people making the four-hour trip to FIU Stadium from his hometown of St. Petersburg. Likely expects a similar turnout with friends, family and former coaches and teammates from his Belle Glade group.
Plus, the Terps know they’ll have the attention of many recruits in the state Durkin’s staff has targeted for recruiting. Seven of this year’s freshmen are natives of the Sunshine State, and two more have verbally committed for 2017.
“We’re definitely a big presence in Florida,” Durkin said. “How much that means of going to play a game there, I don’t know.”
But Conyers, after a tumultuous college path and a preseason scare, has a different view.
“This would be a statement to show everybody, the young prospects coming up in the state of Florida, that Maryland is potentially, if not already, going to be a pipeline,” Conyers said. “Showcasing our talent, young kids receiving that and being like ‘Maryland’s for real.'”
