Lakeland graduate Ammon Munyer ready to join Weber State football after two-year mission in Guatemala

Aug. 22—Often, one of the most challenging stages of an athlete's career is the transition from battling high school competition to collegiate competition. The talent collegiate athletes possess is typically far more enhanced than what you can expect from a high school standout.

Tight end Ammon Munyer, a 2021 Lakeland High School graduate, was offered 10 full-ride Division I scholarships during his senior year. The interesting component about Munyer's signing-day decision was he had made it known that prior to attending college, he would participate in a two-year mission as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Despite this commitment, Munyer had a variety of schools to choose from on signing day. While he had an offer to FBS program Air Force, Munyer decided on the dominant FCS powerhouse, Weber State Wildcats. The Wildcats hold a 23-6 record in Big Sky Conference play since the start of the 2019 season.

Munyer considered not going on a mission due to all the offers and attention he was getting from high-profile FCS schools.

"The thought of not going did cross my mind, but I can't imagine where I'd be if I hadn't gone," Munyer said. "I had many chances to not go, but I honestly don't believe I'd be where I am today. I'm so grateful for everything I went through in those two years."

For the past two years, Munyer has stayed in a variety of less-than-ideal cinderblock houses throughout different towns in Guatemala, where he rarely spoke English. He said the language transition was relatively easy and clicked quickly.

Munyer mentions the hectic conditions of his mission weren't important.

"My whole mission was about forgetting myself and focusing on helping others. I loved it," he said. "On a regular day, we'd do some studying in our house, plan out our visits for the day and then go out and work. Our goal was simply to find people willing to listen."

Munyer valued and benefited from every moment of his mission. He attributes his decision to partake in a mission to his parents.

"They were the ones who taught me the value of giving up yourself and sacrificing everything for God," Munyer said.

Munyer decided on Weber State because it is relatively close to home, and the school is accustomed to working with missionaries.

"What sticks out most about the coaching staff is their interest in developing players into successful young men," he said.

Located in Ogden, Utah, Weber State annually signs about five to eight football players that plan to attend missions. When Munyer arrived on campus earlier this summer, it was his first time meeting the coaches and seeing the facilities.

Munyer arrived at summer training camp in much better shape than the team anticipated, according to Weber State tight end coach David Fiefia,

"He didn't seem like he had missionary legs; he was pretty trimmed and lean," Fiefia said. "Ammon has been impressive in the sense of quickness and physicality. It is challenging when you're thrown right into college football and expected to learn the playbook in six weeks, but Ammon has exceeded expectations and is going to continue to get bigger, faster, stronger."

The coaching staff at Weber State is accountable for preparing players that are out of shape when they arrive at camp up with extra conditioning. This is not an uncommon occurrence with players coming off of a mission, but Munyer was in great shape and did not struggle to adapt.

"Typical missionaries can kind of adjust on their own timeline coming off of their mission, but the challenge for guys jumping straight into college football is rapid and difficult," Fiefia said. "The best thing to do is to come to the school early and get acclimated to the environment."

Munyer acknowledges that it was challenging to adapt back to life in America.

"It's been tough going from living completely focused on others and doing everything possible to help people to a world where people complain about traffic and gas prices," Munyer said.

Fiefia has particularly enjoyed coaching Munyer and has high hopes for his future.

"He's tough, smart, cares and wants to be great," Fiefia said. "Those are tools I want every guy coming into the program to have. He's been willing to do anything and everything to help the team. He's been a delight to coach."

An issue that players returning from missions often face is gaining back weight that they lost. Weber State emphasizes not only gaining weight but doing it the healthy and right way. Fortunately for Munyer, he only lost 20 pounds over the two-year mission and quickly regained the weight after returning to the United States.

The 6-foot-5 tight end claims his footwork and physical abilities were beyond rusty when he arrived for training camp, but he is now in the best shape of his life. He worked his way from 220 to 240 pounds, gaining muscle.

Munyer has prepared for the season by "committing to the daily grind and putting in intense and consistent work in the weight and film rooms. It's not easy at all, but it's the only way. My top priority is balancing a full-time football schedule, school, church, and family."

Munyer's younger sister Ziya is a junior at Lakeland who recently received an offer from Weber State for volleyball. She is currently planning on serving a mission and is working around specifics on how a scholarship would work following her mission.

Weber State has three freshmen tight ends fighting for the final spot on the depth chart, but whether he redshirts or not is a matter of how he performs over the next few weeks of camp.

Liam Bradford's reporting is part of the Teen Journalism Institute, funded by Bank of America with support from the Innovia Foundation.