Papago Pumas Junior College Football Program

​Hohokam Junior College Athletic Conference Member Program

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Facilities:

The Pumas home and practice field will be located at Westwood High School. 

945 W. Rio Salado Pkwy
Mesa, AZ 85201

2021 Schedule:

Coming Soon

Coaches:

Head Coach: Brandon Payne
          Coach Payne is a Texas native who was a stand-out athlete at Dayton High School in southeast Texas graduating in 2000. His senior season, he was a first team All-District selection and honorable mention All- State cornerback, as well as his team’s defensive MVP. Payne held several D1 offers in football, but was also a 3 sport athlete that excelled at baseball/Basketball. He was a three year starter on the basketball team on top of capturing a few accolades. The sports background is very deep in Payne’s family from a line of great athletes who played at the highest level in college & also professionally.
Payne began his college career at Blinn Junior College (Brenham, TX) where he was honorable mention All-Conference in the secondary. He led the team in interceptions and in blocked field goals. He earned his Associates of the Arts degree:  Liberal Arts, with a focus in Kinesiology.
Payne then transferred to the University of New Mexico, where he excelled as one of the top rated defensive backs in all of college football. As a Lobo in 2004, Payne was a Walter Camp 2nd Team All-American, a 1st Team All Mountain West Conference selection and a semi-finalist for the prestigious Jim Thorpe Award. He set a school record for pass break-ups and was the 2004 NCAA Pass Break-up Champion & being voted as the “Most improved player” as a lobo. Payne graduated from New Mexico with a Bachelor’s Degree in University Studies, focus on Exercise and Health Education.
Coach Payne continued his football career at the professional level, who spent time in NFL camps with both the Detroit Lions and the Miami Dolphins; then in drafted in the 17th round NFL Europe draft with the Cologne Centurions in 2006. He also played in the Arena Football League and in the Canadian Football League, winning the 2006 Grey Cup with the BC Lions.
Completing his playing career, Payne stepped off the field and onto the sidelines, where he has now coached for nearly a decade. He has worked in both team and individual settings, guiding athletes from elementary school ages to senior citizens.
A certified speed and conditioning coach since 2014, Payne has developed and applied specific training programs for more than 200 athletes, from youth sports teams to professional athletes.
Payne started his football coaching as a graduate assistant at University of New Mexico in 2005 and he then moved on to coaching at high school level. He has worked as a varsity assistant & also as Defensive coordinator at multiple high schools in Arizona and Texas, where his duties have included scouting opponents, analyzing game film and implementing defensive schemes and strategy. After high school level, Payne joined Head football coach Joe Fortchner at New Mexico military Institute where he coached the Defensive backs & fee all conference players. Next he took his journey to surprise Arizona where he joined Head football coach Mike Nesbitt as the Cornerbacks coach and take over a brand new program. He was part of a program that excelled in to one of the top programs ranked in the top 25 of NAIA football. Also he mentored a few all conference Defensive backs & also mentored the Returners by coaching the special teams player of the year and a all American returner in 2018. With his personal background, Payne is especially capable of helping student athletes choose and prepare for the next level of both their athletic and academic college careers. He has helped many of his athletes prepare their paperwork for student recruitment and helped facilitate their moves to schools at the NCAA and NJCAA levels.
Payne most recently worked at Maricopa Junior College in the HJCAC, as the Defensive Backs Coach, Special Teams Coordinator and Assistant Recruiting Coordinator. Payne is in his 2nd year of the HJCAC. He was also promoted to as head football coach for the Papago pumas in 2020 of February. In 2020 of the fall, Payne lead the Papago Pumas to a winning record of over .500 going 4-3 and finishing 2nd in the conference. His first year as a head coach, he has developed (4) Junior College Rivals all Americans who were ranked in the top 100 of all of junior college football. As a former juco football product, Payne has coached & mentored players into men. Payne has also placed several players at universities from the junior college level. Payne is also going on his 2nd year of a head coach and has coached at the NAIA, D1, & the juco level where he has been successful as a assistant coach. 
In his 10 year coaching career, Payne has mentored and overseen multiple all-conference players at every level of college football he has coached.

Associate Head Coach / Defensive Coordinator/ LB's: William Stother
Offensive Coordinator / Runningbacks: Andrew King
Pass Game Coordinator: Devoyius Mark
Recruiting Coordinator / Defensive Line: Antonio Hill
Offensive Line / TE's: Jacob Chavez
Special Team Coordinator: Chaz Scott

2020 Roster:

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