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ANAHEIM — Maxwell “Bunchie” Young arrived at Western before his junior season known for his appearance in a Super Bowl commercial but he wanted more from football.
He aspired to someday play in college.
There was one major problem.
He weighed 145 pounds as a wide receiver.
“I wasn’t strong because I was coming off a collarbone injury,” recalled Young, who transferred to Western from Leuzinger. “I had to put on weight.”
Fortunately for Young, Western had the training program and coaches to transform his body. The work, however, was left to him.
Young dedicated himself to the weight room and developed into the No. 1 target for Western quarterback Chance Thomas this fall.
And on National Signing Day on Dec. 3, Young took a major step toward his goal by signing with Fresno State.
The senior celebrated the achievement with his mother Laura, friends and teammates during on-campus ceremony at Western.
Pioneers’ running back Skylar Lendsey and defensive back Ernest Nunley signed with UNLV and Cal, respectively.
“A lot of emotions,” Young said before the ceremony. “Since I was a kid, this is what I’ve been dreaming for.”
“It’s been a process,” he added. “It hasn’t an overnight thing.”
This season, Young played at 6-foot and 180 pounds and emerged as one of the best wide receivers in Orange County. He tallied 58 receptions for 1,005 yards (17.3 yards per catch) and 13 touchdowns.
Young also played cornerback for the second consecutive.
He credits his improved strength to his work with Western strength and conditioning coach Wendell Lauderdale, a longtime assistant under coach Dan Davidson.
“Coach Wendell, he’s the one who built me into who I am in terms of strength and conditioning,” Young said. “I put on 30 pounds.”
Lauderdale remembers his first individual training session with Young.
“I thought I broke him,” Lauderdale said. “But he got up from that, and ever since then, he realized ‘OK, I can do this.’ “
“He just went to work,” the coach added. “He was consistent. He was dedicated, and he just did everything I asked.”
Young plans to enroll early at Fresno State and major in communications. In 2020, he starred in a commercial for the NFL before Super Bowl LIV between the Kansas City and San Francisco.
With his blonde hair and bright smile, Young ran the ball onto the field before kickoff in Miami.
Now, Young is preparing to run onto a college field as a player.
“It’s been a long journey,” he said. “We finally made it.”