STUDENT OF THE GAME

For professional athlete Camryn Bynum, the mind is what separates the good from the great

- GABRIEL YAP

FOR THOSE THAT TR AVEL THROUGH THE PHILIPPINES’ DENSE CONCRETE JUNGLES or its open grasslands, you will notice streets are lined with basketball courts and makeshift volleyball nets. Bakal [iron] gyms with aged weight plates strewn across padded flooring or punching bags hanging from garages all serve as athletes’ common homeroom. The message is clear, regardless of place or circumstance, Filipinos find a way to exercise their love for the game.

This same message has been ingrained in Camryn Bynum’s subconscious ever since he was a child, having dabbled in multiple sports growing up in Corona, California. At five years old, he had found his love for American football, and has since then made a career out of the sport as a professional athlete. Despite his position playing for the Minnesota Vikings in the National Football League (NFL), he often found himself as a student more than an athlete.