HOUSTON (WKBW) — Ed Oliver is trying to not let the distractions of this week get the best of him. On Saturday he and his teammates will play in just the Bills second playoff game since 2000.
But staying focused on the Texans is easier said than done. Up until this year, Oliver had spent his entire life in Houston.
“If I don’t make any big plays I’ll still be happy to go play in front of Houston,” Oliver said as he gets ready for the game. “If I make a thousand big plays I’ll still be happy. Either way, we’re going back to Houston and the goal is to win.”
Saturday will be Oliver’s first game in Houston since he left the University of Houston last year. He’s expecting plenty of friends and family to come watch him play and while he doesn’t know exactly how many people will come, he knows it’ll be a lot.
“I was a mini celebrity [in Houston],” Oliver said while laughing. “Not to have a big head, but I was pretty popular in Houston and I think a lot of people will come see me play.”
Of those people planning to attend the game, Oliver’s older brother, Marcus. He also played D1 football at the University of Houston and has been a role model for Ed his entire life.
“He’s always been a different type of guy. He’s never been the ordinary, he’s always been an out of the ordinary so I mean, I guess I was alright but he’s better than alright.”
Marcus and Ed attended Westfield High School, about 15 minutes from downtown Houston. While there, both Ed and Marcus formed a special bond with defensive coach AJ Blum.
“To see that talent, at that age, at that level, it validated everything I already knew,” Blum said. “I knew he was real.”
So as Ed returns home to Houston for the first time as a pro he insists it’s just another week. But it means so much more than that. And if he plays his best, Houston is going to have a serious problem.
