Highlights from former Texas OL Tope Imade's Reddit AMA
Former Texas offensive lineman Tope Imade, who was on the UT roster from 2016 to 2021 and part of three different head coach’s tenures, took part in an Ask Me Anything on r/LonghornNation earlier this week and answered a variety of questions about his time as a Longhorn.
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Here are some of the highlights, unedited, from what the former Arlington (Texas) Bowie standout had to say.
For more on what Imade is up to these days, head to his YouTube channel.
Tope, thanks for doing this. Just wondering if you know what time it is?
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byu/LonghornMod from discussion
inLonghornNation
Hey Tope! As someone who was able to play under and be coached by Charlie Strong, Tom Herman, and Steve Sarkisian, how similar/different were each of their coaching styles?
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byu/LonghornMod from discussion
inLonghornNation
Are players on the Texas football team generally “happy?”
It seems like a lot of work, which is hard, but also a ton of purpose, which is often lacking in those nihilistic college years. Does the pressure and stress of balancing P2/Public Ivy sports & academics enhance or strengthen most players’ mindsets?
I remember working full-time and taking 15 hours most semesters, and while it was grueling and difficult I was very happy. Curious if that tracks for players, or if it’s too much for many of them.
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byu/LonghornMod from discussion
inLonghornNation
Tope, thank you for doing this! I have a few questions:
- What is your most treasured memory from your time in the program?
- What is a common fan misconception that you’ve always wanted to correct or qualify, be it about the team, recruiting, player technique, the sport in general, etc?
- Looking back, what is something you wish you understood better/earlier while developing as a player?
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byu/LonghornMod from discussion
inLonghornNation
Taking a page out of 3rd and Longhorn’s play book. How did you get to the University of Texas? Why Texas?
I know you’ve been a very vocal supporter of Sark and Flood even during the 5-7 year. What did you see in the team that led you to believe the turnaround was coming?
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byu/LonghornMod from discussion
inLonghornNation
Tope, who was the best walk-on offensive lineman you played with? Why was it Frost?
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byu/LonghornMod from discussion
inLonghornNation
Hey Tope. This is Will Baizer. When I had you on my podcast a few years ago, you talked about how much better Kyle Flood was as a developer than anybody you had been with beforehand.
It’s now evident that you were speaking the truth (not that we didn’t believe you). However, for the lay person, what can somebody look for on ESPN (without all-22) to see whether or not a player is progressing, has the correct footwork, etc? What do you think people should look for in a HS recruit? Size, speed, or footwork?
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byu/LonghornMod from discussion
inLonghornNation
How’s life been like after football? What aspects do you miss/don’t miss that came with being a football player as compared to now? Do you ever see yourself getting back into the game whether it’s coaching or training in some capacity?
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byu/LonghornMod from discussion
inLonghornNation
How was the Bo Davis bus incident/rant/whatever you want to call it following the ISU loss received by players?
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byu/LonghornMod from discussion
inLonghornNation
Last question from me. You are one of the more vocal Longhorn football alums next to guys like Quandre, Omenihu, Babers, etc. I’ve always found the transition from never watched CFB to being a giant fan hilarious and fascinating.
What has the journey been like for you from going from never caring to athlete to watching games every Saturday with the rest of us?
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byu/LonghornMod from discussion
inLonghornNation
What was your equivalent to a “welcome to the NFL moment” for college football?
If you had to choose one, who was the toughest matchup/best player you went up against?
What was the hardest workout you had in college?
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byu/LonghornMod from discussion
inLonghornNation
First off, how’s your day so far?
Who do you think will be the surprising cameo in Deadpool and Wolverine? I’m calling mckellan magneto
Talk to us about Casey’s “leadership” in the 21 season. How did the locker room feel about him? I know you’ve had some choice words both publicly and privately, and that you exposed his “leadership” on twitter
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byu/LonghornMod from discussion
inLonghornNation
Any stories you can share from the Herman regime that won’t incriminate or look bad on anyone?
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byu/LonghornMod from discussion
inLonghornNation
Hey tope, we hear all the time about the front line staff but was there anyone behind the scenes that we never hear about that was influential for recruiting or mentoring the players?
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byu/LonghornMod from discussion
inLonghornNation
Do you have a lookout block that haunts you still? Any standouts where you absolutely pancaked a dude to extend a drive?
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byu/LonghornMod from discussion
inLonghornNation
Which opponent had the worst fans during away games?
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byu/LonghornMod from discussion
inLonghornNation
Online message boards, Twitter, and other Texas fan communities tend to have a very large ego when it comes to affecting the program. How much of the online discourse about their play does the team hear? And how much of it is just shit y’all end up laughing about in the locker room?
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byu/LonghornMod from discussion
inLonghornNation
You have a unique experience being at Texas across several coaching changes, can you compare your experience across the coaches in your experience from Strong, Herman, and Sark? Things you liked/disliked about each?
I am also curious about the differences in the OL coaches you had as as well.
Edit: I saw you already compared the Head Coaches, so I would like to know more about the differences in the OL coaches you had and what you liked/disliked about them.
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byu/LonghornMod from discussion
inLonghornNation
How can someone like me who didn’t play HS football better watch the OL and learn what they’re doing well/poorly instead of just seeing who gives up sacks and penetration?
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byu/LonghornMod from discussion
inLonghornNation
In addition to going through three coaching changes, you also got to see the entire athletic department under ADs Perrin and then CDC. What have been the biggest changes you’ve seen in the team’s relationship(s) with other teams at Texas since the department leadership changed so dramatically?
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byu/LonghornMod from discussion
inLonghornNation
If sam ehlinger wasnt at texas, do you think the team would have had success with shane buechele? He looked like he had a lot of poise as a freshman and as much as i loved sam, would have liked to see how shanes texas career would have gone
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byu/LonghornMod from discussion
inLonghornNation
How did the team view the crowd atmosphere at DKR?
Is there anything other than crowd noise that had any impact on you during games? (As far as crowd atmospheres go, for home games or away games)
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byu/LonghornMod from discussion
inLonghornNation
Hi Tope! How big of a deal is a position coach change and OC change, respectively? Which one is a bigger deal for the players (or does it depend on the coach)? What are some things position coaches and coordinators do that makes the transition easier/smoother for the players?
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byu/LonghornMod from discussion
inLonghornNation
Hey Tope: what were your favorite and least favorite places to play on the road?
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byu/LonghornMod from discussion
inLonghornNation
Tope! Who hit you the hardest?
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byu/LonghornMod from discussion
inLonghornNation
Who were your most and least favorite DL players to play against, and why?
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byu/LonghornMod from discussion
inLonghornNation
How do you think the battle in the trenches will be different in the SEC, if at all?
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byu/LonghornMod from discussion
inLonghornNation
What are the high/low points of your college career?
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byu/LonghornMod from discussion
inLonghornNation
