A banner season
HOUSTON STANDOUT ED OLIVER ANSWERS THE TOUGH QUESTIONS
UH defensive tacke Ed Oliver isn’t worried about individual accolades — he’s focused on a bowl banner.
Defensive tackle Ed Oliver admits he gets “a little emotional” thinking about this being his final season at the University of Houston.
So far, it’s been a jam-packed two seasons for Oliver, a twotime All-American and reigning Outland Trophy winner.
Oliver put to rest any speculation about his future in March by announcing he will enter the NFL draft after his junior season.
There is some unfinished business: winning the American Athletic Conference title and playing in a New Year’s Six bowl.
With the Sept. 1 season opener three weeks away, Oliver discussed a wide range of topics — his appearance on this week’s cover of Sports Illustrated to being a Heisman Trophy candidate to seeing some action in the backfield this season — during a question-and-answer session after Thursday practice.
Q: In a recent ESPN The Magazine article, you said LSU was your “dream school” and that you “still hate that I didn’t go there.” What did you mean?
A: I’m from Louisiana. All my people are from Louisiana. I was born in Louisiana and moved to Texas. That’s just a school my family liked and grew up watching. They had Tyrann Mathieu back when I was growing up. It was a real exciting program.
Q: What do you think about being named the No. 1 player in country (by Sports Illustrated and ESPN)?
A: I don’t know how to feel about it. I go to work with my brothers every day. That’s all I’m worried about.
Q: What goes through your mind when you see all the NFL scouts watching you at practice?
A: When scouts come see you, they also see everybody else. This team is loaded with talent. Even though they come to see me, they see guys like (defensive end) Jerard Carter, (linebacker) Emeke Egbule, (left tackle) Josh Jones. We all are giving each other work.
Q: There hasn’t been many, if any, players in recent memory to publicly say they are going to leave after three years for the NFL. What went into the decision?
A: I needed to get it out of the way, so I didn’t have to answer the question time and time again. I could worry about Rice coming up or how we played or how we are preparing for a team.
Q: Even with the decision out of the way, how do you not think about the NFL?
A: Because I’ve got 12 (regular-season) games and hopefully a conference championship and a bowl game to play. It leaves little time to think about that. You have to get better every day. I’m mentally drained just focusing on that. I have to prepare myself for the season. I don’t have time to daydream.
Q: Does (being used at running back) appeal to you?
A: I’m a defensive player, so right now I’m just getting better at defense and we’re coming together as a defense, building camaraderie on the defensive line and bringing it all together for the season. It was a fun time (scoring on a 1-yard touchdown in the Hawaii Bowl), but I’m not going to fixate my mind on things like that when we have a lot to do to get ready for the season. We have big expectations.
Q: What was it like being on the cover of Sports Illustrated?
A: It was cool. I felt the photo shoot was something different, something I wasn’t used to. I actually liked it a lot. It’s something to have, something to look at. I feel like I made my family proud. I feel like I made my city proud. I feel like I made my brothers proud. Without them I wouldn’t even be on the cover. Just the people around me that helped me get there is really what’s special about the whole situation.
Q: There have been surefire first-round picks in recent years (Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey and LSU running back Leonard Fournette) to make the decision not to play in a bowl game. Will you play if UH makes a bowl game?
A: Most definitely. Don’t leave any money on the table. Like I said, after this year I’m going to be gone and will never get to play in another bowl game. I’m going to play for my ring. I feel like if you don’t play and (the team wins), you shouldn’t get a ring. … I understand if you are banged up and you need to preserve your body. Don’t play. That’s not smart. You don’t need to further injure yourself. If I’m healthy running around like I normally run around every day, I’m playing.
Q: What do you want your legacy at UH to be?
A: A guy who followed his brother (former offensive line Marcus Oliver) here. Had a hell of a freshman year, hell of sophomore year, hell of a junior year, left the program better than he found it. Had great times with his brothers and did something special here.
Q: Would being a finalist for the Heisman Trophy be considered a victory for a defensive player from a non-Power Five conference?
A: That’s so far-fetched. Honestly, I don’t care. Just to be quite frankly with you, I don’t care about that.
Q: What are your thoughts on defensive players never being seriously considered for the Heisman? Former Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson is the only predominately defensive player to ever win and the last 20 winners have been quarterbacks and running backs.
A: Those guys touch the ball all the time. For me to fixate my junior year — what are we talking about here? — I’m here to play football with my guys and we have something way bigger than the Heisman Trophy. The Heisman Trophy is going to come and go. I guarantee you a conference championship they are going to hang a banner and it’s going to be here forever. A bowl game will be here forever. That’s more about the team. I’m not worried about the personal (stuff ).