Watch: NCAA Football Superstar, Likely Top-10 NFL Pick Explodes on His Coach on Sidelines
The lasting image of Ed Oliver at the University of Houston may be him getting into a heated altercation with his head coach on the sideline.
Oliver is a two-time All-American for the Cougars and is viewed as one of the top two players in the 2019 NFL draft, along with Ohio State’s Nick Bosa. But he’s missed the last four games with a knee injury and was in street clothes for Thursday’s game against Tulane.
In fact, the clothes Oliver was wearing upset his head coach, Major Applewhite. Applewhite approached Oliver and made him take off a black team jacket, which is reserved for active players.
That set off Oliver, who attempted to get in his coach’s face as the first half ended and the team headed to the locker room.
Ed Oliver was HEATED when his coach told him to take off his jacket on the sideline ? pic.twitter.com/2OZUAXSrJ1
— ESPN (@espn) November 16, 2018
Oliver had to be restrained by Houston’s director of sports performance, and the All-American never returned to the sideline after halftime.
Applewhite explained why he asked Oliver to remove his jacket.
“We just have a rule on the sideline that guys who are participating in the games and specifically starters, that they have jackets so they can stay (warm),” Applewhite said. “As a coach who has coached and played for years, you don’t want a thousand guys in jackets when it’s only 50 degrees outside.
“You want guys to stand up, be off the bench and be tough, and some guys had them early on. I asked them to take them off … and Ed had one, so I asked him to take it off because I don’t want to be unfair and unequal to the other guys, and you know, he got emotional. But he’s young, and that’s what happens. And he’s not playing, and that’s hard and that’s difficult. I don’t hold anything against anyone.”
Houston coach Major Applewhite on the sideline incident involving Ed Oliver: pic.twitter.com/hEpWayJB9p
— Sporting News (@sportingnews) November 16, 2018
Oliver did not comment on the situation, but he did send out a tweet during the second half in support of the Cougars after they created a turnover.
Houston has just one more regular season game, at Memphis on Nov. 23, and it’s unknown if Oliver will suit up for the Cougars again. Applewhite said that Oliver not playing was likely a factor in the way he reacted to the situation.
“I love him, I want him to be a part of our team, I want him to be with our team. … You’d be amazed how many emotional things you deal with all the time with players,” Applewhite said. “This is just one that you see. But we deal with things like this all the time as coaches. That’s part of our job.”
Oliver has 13.5 tackles for loss this season in addition to three sacks. He has 13.5 sacks in his career and last year became the first sophomore to win the Outland Trophy, which goes to the best interior lineman in the country.
A Houston native, Oliver chose to stay in his hometown during the recruiting process. He was a consensus five-star recruit and was the first five-star player to commit to a school outside of the Power 5 Conferences.
Oliver has gotten NFL comparisons to Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald for his ability to rush the passer from the defensive tackle position.
In October, Mel Kiper Jr. ranked Oliver as the No. 2 overall player on his 2019 Draft Big Board.
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