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Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect Keihn intending to attend Richmond.
Melvin Keihn has left Maryland football, Testudo Times has confirmed. InsideMDSports was first to report the news of his departure, and the Baltimore Sun reported Tuesday that he will sign with Richmond.
Keihn will be a fifth-year senior in the fall, and will be immediately eligible at Richmond as a graduate transfer. He received his degree from Maryland in the spring. Keihn told Don Markus he intends to complete his Master’s degree in one year and start supporting his family—he is expecting a son later this month.
After initially heading to Virginia Tech for his freshman season in 2014, Keihn transferred to Maryland. He sat out a year due to NCAA transfer rules and then played in 22 games across two seasons for the Terps, totaling 30 tackles.
But Keihn’s story has always been about more than just football. He left war-torn Liberia at eight years old. Fourteen years later, he returned for the first time to see his mom. The incredible story is best summed up in video, and luckily, there are two—one of which won a Sports Emmy.
As a child, Maryland DE Melvin Keihn had to leave his mom in war-torn Liberia.
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 2, 2017
14 years later, they reunited.https://t.co/wfnQF4BEDs
This #B1G football player hadn't seen his mom in 15 years. Why? Melvin Keihn explains – The Reason I Play (Part 1). https://t.co/is3Nxy8CBd
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) August 28, 2017
Beyond Keihn, Maryland returns another fifth-year senior in Jesse Aniebonam and sophomore Bryce Brand at the BUCK position. There are a handful of youngsters who haven’t played just yet, but could use this opening to make their marks.