Malik Honeycutt - Quick as a Hiccup

by Cody Zeeb

Malik Honeycutt is a wide receiver for the Salina Liberty of Arena Football One. In the Liberty’s Week 6 victory over the Oregon Lightning, Honeycutt caught three touchdown passes, including a 31-yard bomb. 

Growing Up

Malik Honeycutt was born in Tallahassee, Florida. As a kid, he split time growing up between Tallahassee and Fort Lauderdale. He picked up football around second grade, where he began his young career as a defensive lineman and linebacker. His coaches quickly saw Honeycutt’s undeniable speed, and he spent most of his childhood playing at running back, with a little action at quarterback. 


When he got to Amos P. Godby High School, Malik was the quarterback on the junior varsity football team. When he was promoted to varsity in his sophomore season, the speedy player was converted to receiver, a position he still thrives at today. His high school wide receivers coach was Florida State Hall of Famer Jesse Forbes, a Tallahassee native and fellow track superstar. 


Honeycutt was a three-sport star athlete in high school, winning state title championships in football, basketball, and track. He helped lead his basketball team to an undefeated 32-0 title run. Basketball was Malik’s first love when it came to sports. In track, he was the state champion in the triple jump, and his football team won state in his sophomore year and was the runner-up at state in his senior season. He was named Athlete of the Year, Slam Dunk Champion 


College Years 


When his high school days were over, it was time for Honeycutt to decide which sport and which school he would attend. He chose football and committed to Division II Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi. Honeycutt appeared in seven games as a freshman before making a quick stop at Independence Community College in Kansas. Due to Kansas JUCO rules at the time only allowed so many out-of-state kids to play, Malik didn’t see much action. His next stop was Itawamba Community College, once again in Mississippi. This is where he exploded onto the college scene and drew the attention of many schools that wanted his talents. 


He decided to take those talents to Murray State University in Kentucky. Just a month before he committed, his offensive coordinator, Nick Coleman, took a position with the Murray State Racers and quickly set to recruiting Honeycutt. Honeycutt wanted to go somewhere that he’d get the ball, and this was the perfect Division I opportunity with a coach he was familiar with succeeding with. 


His first season with the Racers, Malik earned first-team All-American honors as a kick returner. He ran back a game-winning kickoff return 79 yards to cap an improbable rally from 31-0 against 19th-ranked SEMO in the "Miracle in Murray" game. He ended the season with an 80-yard touchdown return in the season finale against Austin Peay and led the Racers with 29 receptions for 477 yards and four touchdowns as a wide receiver. Just a week before the first game of his second season at Murray State, he tore his meniscus and missed the entire year. The following season, he came back strong once again, earning all-conference honors as a return specialist. He finished ninth in the nation in punt return with 11.2 yards per return. 

An Arena Star

After graduation, Malik ended up with a slight tear of his meniscus after his pro day and was unable to work out for the NFL teams that called. He underwent surgery to repair the tear and sat out of the game his first year after college. One day, he received a random phone call from Mike Davis, the General Manager and Head Coach of the IFL’s Las Vegas Knight Hawks. Honeycutt had never even heard of arena football before this phone call, but he wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity to play more football. “I’ll take this risk and go try it out, it beats being at home and working at the gas station,” Honeycutt said. 


After a great season with the Knight Hawks, Malik signed with the Philadelphia Soul for 2024. Unfortunately, the team folded, and Honeycutt was once again looking for work. The Las Vegas Night Hawks brought him back to play defensive back. When an opportunity came for him to play wide receiver for the Orlando Predators, the Knight Hawks graciously let him go to chase that opportunity. He finished the 2924 season in Orlando. The team re-signed him for 2025 as they joined the AF1. Once again, he was on the wrong side of things as the Predators folded and were unceremoniously dropped from the league. 


After back-to-back seasons of being with teams that folded and left him looking for a new home, Honeycutt wanted a strong, stable team that wanted him to play receiver. He fielded some calls for teams that wanted him to play defensive back, but Malik’s sights were set on proving he’s a top wide receiver in indoor football. When Salina Liberty Head Coach Heron O’Neal called Malik, the first thing he asked was if Honeycutt would like it being the main motion receiver? That quickly caught his attention. Malik was on a plane to Salina, Kansas, the next week. “Now I’m here balling” and he’s not wrong. In five games, he has 19 catches for 237 yards and five touchdowns as a receiver. He’s averaging 17 yards per kick return with 210 yards on the season and a kick return touchdown.

 I asked Salina Liberty Head Coach Heron O’Neal to share his thoughts on coaching Malik. “His physical attributes, the kid can jump out of the building. He’s quick as a hiccup, you couldn’t touch him in a phone booth. That’s how quick and efficient he is.” “The other thing I love about him is his personality, he’s very, very laid back. He rarely speaks, but he’s also very intentional. He brings a notebook with him wherever he goes to take notes, a true pro’s pro.” He’s a student of the game and a guy who really wants to win.” 


Off the field, you’ll likely find Malik out in nature. He loves walking in nature, walking in the woods. He searches out waterfalls or water geysers, just enjoying the peacefulness outside. He’s also an avid disc golfer, another great way he connects with nature and the outdoors.