LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Mekhi Becton is a force on the football field, but get him on a basketball court, and he’s not as much of a threat.
“He’s has a little bit of a mid-range, but no three-pointer," said girlfriend, Bionca Dunham.
Dunham is more than qualified as a former starter for Louisville Women's Basketball.
“The first week we played, his family was in town," Dunham said. "I took them to the Little Yum! Center, where we practice at. They actually watched him take his first W. That was his only W.”
Despite playing different sports, Becton compared Dunham’s job on the court to his own on the offensive line.
“She does the dirty work, things people don’t want to do,” Becton said. “That goes a long way on the team.”
Becton and Dunham are something of a Louisville love story.
Becton, from Richmond, Virginia, and Dunham, a Philadelphia native, didn’t initially meet on campus as student-athletes. Instead, it was through a direct message on social media.
“I was recording a song on Snapchat, and I posted a quote,” Dunham said. “I think it was like a life quote. He had slid up and commented on there and was like, ‘What’s wrong?’ And then it went from there.”
Before long, the two made plans to meet up.
“He invited me over to his apartment to try some of his signature alfredo,” Dunham said. “I don’t really like alfredo, so when I went over there, I tried to be cute and eat it, even though I didn’t like it.”
The rest, as they say, is history. Dunham spent the fall cheering for Becton during his All-American season. When winter rolled around, it was Becton in the stands supporting Dunham and the Cardinals as they captured an ACC title.
“She came to every home game that I had,” Becton said. “So, it was really important that I return the favor as much as I could.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the basketball postseason was canceled, Dunham joined Becton in Texas while he trained for the upcoming NFL Draft. Last month, Becton was drafted 11th overall by the New York Jets.
“It was a dream come true, pretty much,” Becton said. “I finally got to see my name called on TV. Roger Goodell said my name, so it was great. It was a great moment.”
Becton doesn’t know when they will finally move to New York. The NFL isn’t allowing teams to meet in person until stay-at-home orders have been lifted. He will, however, meet his new team virtually this week.
Meanwhile, Dunham is also beginning her professional career. She just signed a contract with an agency in Spain.
“The long-distance thing, I can do it,” Dunham said. “He’s going to try and come up and visit me. I’ll try to come visit him in New York. Plus, my family is really close to his, so I’m sure them being around, most likely, he’ll be thinking about me and feel closer to me with them around.”
Neither one knows just when their professional careers will begin. For right now, they said it’s all about enjoying each other’s company at home.
“She cares for me,” Becton said. “She likes to make sure I’m OK. She puts myself before her. You couldn’t ask for anything better.”
It's a Cardinal team that’s sure to never lose.
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