Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
Aug 30, 2025; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins defensive back Dontay Joyner (6) celebrates during the first half against the Florida Atlantic Owls at SECU Stadium.
Less than one month after parting ways with safety Dontay Joyner amid allegations that he’d threatened his girlfriend’s life, the Maryland Terrapins have welcomed Joyner back with open arms.
On August 5, Maryland coach Mike Locksley announced that Joyner and the program had mutually parted ways following an arrest and guilty plea for telephone misuse in a harassment case involving the player’s ex-girlfriend.
“He’s a guy that deserves another chance,” Locksley said then, adding that Joyner needed a fresh start. As it turns out, that “fresh start” is right back where he began.
Mike Locksley Welcomes Dontay Joyner Back To Maryland Despite Threats To GF
Locksley told the Inside Maryland Sports Radio Show on Wednesday that Joyner’s path back began during training camp, when he addressed his former teammates as a guest speaker.
“Who would be better than talking to a bunch of young players than a guy who’s lost his scholarship, lost his NIL, lost a lot of the respect some people had for him for what he went through?” Locksley said.
The ninth-year head coach, who is 37-49 over that span, then gathered with the team’s leadership council and decided to bring Joyner back into the fold.
“We feel like Dontay has a support system here at Maryland, which is us, and being here is the best thing for him,” Locksley said the players told him. “We want to take ownership.
“Sometimes people, especially young people, make mistakes and the second chance can be life-changing,” he added.
Joyner’s ‘Mistake’ Was Pretty Unsettling
Joyner, a Florida native who began his career at Arkansas State, spent 27 days in jail after his arrest on June 11, after court records said Joyner drove from Laurel toward Edgewood to confront his now ex-girlfriend before police stopped him. Investigators later found that Joyner continued trying to contact her after his arrest.
Court documents also show that Joyner called her more than 90 times in the days prior to his arrest and sent text messages in which he threatened to shoot her.
Joyner eventually pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years of supervised probation in addition to undergoing a mental health evaluation and enrolling in an abuse intervention program. He’s also to have no contact with his former girlfriend.
Joyner started every game for Maryland in 2025. He made 40 tackles, two interceptions, and a team-high eight pass breakups.