Malcolm played OL at Miami, eventually transferring to UCLA for graduate studies.
After not being selected in the 2015 NFL Draft, he embarked on a series of stops with the Eagles (2015), Tiger-Cats (2017), Jaguars (2017), and Giants (2018).
Bunche got seasoning playing for an exceptionally good OL with the Arizona Hotshots of the AAF in 2019.
He had two more short stops with the Giants and Redskins immediately after that before closing out the year.
Bunche then played for the Washington Defenders of the XFL in 2020.
After a brief hiatus he played with the San Antonio Brahmas of the XFL 2023.
NOTES:
Malcolm was a nice grab that I picked up during the Purple Heart Event that the team was at in Boerne in April. I was wearing my AJ Tarpley jersey and my guy Kameron Kelly stopped me to admire it and take a photo with me. Malcolm came up to compliment me as he too was an AAF vet from his days with the Hotshots. When I produced his XFL card from my pile of stuff, he was duly impressed and gleefully signed it.
CARD: XFL 2020 ACQUIRED: IP 2023, XFL Championship Game
CAREER SNAPSHOT:
Ryan Mueller played college ball at LB for the Kansas State Wildcats.
He played in 39 games, posting 116 total tackles, 16.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles.
Undrafted in 2015, Mueller spent the offseason with the Chargers (’15) and Eagles (’16).
2017 saw Ryan on and off the roster of the CFL Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
After missing out on the AAF, Ryan was selected by the New York Guardians of the XFL in late 2019 as a Phase 5 selection.
Recorded a pick 6 in a home victory over the Dallas Renegades.
Returned to the XFL in 2022, selected by the Arlington Renegades.
He be cut, but later resigned by the Renegades, who then traded Mueller to the Vegas Vipers for QB Luis Perez.
The Vipers then soon thereafter cut Mueller, who ended up resigning with the Renegades.
NOTES:
I was waiting outside near the team busses. They didn’t have them set up the same way they had previously and had them scattered about the parking lot after the Championship. I got really lucky and overheard someone refer to a player who came over as Ryan. I keyed in on him immediately and he had no problem signing my card.
He loved the XFL 2020 card, and told me that he lamented the XFL 2020s collapse due to COVID. He said that the Guardians had unfinished business and had just started to surge.
I then said that he had the best character arc of all though. He was traded to the Vipers for Perez. The Vipers cut him soon afterwards and he resigned with the Renegades. And now he’s an XFL Champion!
He then joked at me that he’s like 1/2 the XFL Championship MVP for it.
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.