Former Longhorn defender and Inside Texas columnist Drew Kelson writes on the development he's seen over the years in Brian Orakpo, who Kelson was teammates with at both Texas and Lamar High School...the development from a "frail, stiff" kid into the destructive force we see today.
In suburban schools, kids usually grow up knowing each other and playing sports together for years. Lamar High School brought students from all over and somehow had to find a way to make a solid team out of them in a couple years. Football was more of a social group where athletes from various middles schools came out to establish themselves socially. Several students would let you know that sports were just the cool social thing to do at Lamar. Looking back on the growth of Brian Orakpo, he was no different…at first.
Coming into high school, Brian was what you’d consider a bit frail, stiff and totally unaware of his potential. Freshman football was merely about playing in front of all your classmates right on the campus football field. Simply having a uniform and getting a chance to play was cool. The oblivious Brian Orakpo had no sack total goals or weight room goals. He wanted to be a part of a winning team but wasn’t necessarily determined to be one of the reasons the team won.
It wasn’t until after sophomore football season at Lamar that Brian began to understand what he could be on the football field. He played in every varsity game as a sophomore and made some noise here and there. With senior defensive end John Williams (Oklahoma) and junior defensive tackle Avery Williams (Tulane), we knew we were going to have an experienced defensive line coming into Brian’s junior year. This is the time when these guys not only began to realize their potential, but learned how to work to make the most of that talent on the field as a unit. Brian began to make tremendous strides.
It was also during the winter and spring of our sophomore year where we learned how much of a freakish athlete Brian was. After fourth period, where we spent the end of the day in our off-season weight-lifting program, Brian and I went on to basketball practice. We would often scrimmage against our varsity team during practice. Brian was very strong on the offensive boards and often gave the team several second-chance point opportunities. Although Brian led the team in offensive rebounds, he just could not make a lay-up. He claimed that his shot was thrown off by all the weight-lifting. I’m not sure if our coach bought his claim or not, but our coach suggested that Brian no longer attempt to shoot lay-ups. He instructed Brian to dunk the ball every time he got an offensive board. That day became the most embarrassing performance of a varsity team against their JV that I’d ever been a part of. Brian rebounded the ball and dunked on the varsity about four or five times that day. Practice was cut short after Brian’s final rebound and dunk against the starting varsity center. It was at this point we all knew that Brian could athletically dominate any person he’s up against at his will.
During our junior year Brian dominated on the field and potential became performance. With all the attention that season on defensive end John Williams, Brian was able to steal the show in some games and began to get attention from several schools. Being that academics were always a priority to his family, Brian wasn’t familiar with or even remotely prepared for the recruiting process. Luckily, the coaches at Texas began to show interest and through this I was able to get Brian to go to the UT football camp.
You can almost say the rest is history. I’ll never forget seeing Maddog’s face light up as he saw Brian go through all the drills that day. None of the coaches could even pronounce his name but they knew he would be a special kid for the program. Brian was offered later that evening and committed a few days later. Brian went on to have an even stronger senior year through his increased self-awareness and knowledge of the standard to which he would be asked to perform on the next level.
After understanding the standard, Brian set out to achieve it and much more. From seeing his impressive growth in high school, I never knew I’d learn so much more about what there is to respect about Brian. He was by far the most patient and persevering athlete I can say I’ve been around. He’s battled numerous nagging injuries and I’ve personally been inspired through reflecting back on his hard work. Several athletes talk about “hard work and dedication,” but Brian’s experiences and growth epitomize what that is all about.
Looking back, we must all appreciate the progress Brian has made over the years. Several know about his journey in college but not about how he got there. He’s come from the awkward basketball player with the funky left-handed shot to one of the best and most physically gifted pass-rushers in Texas football history. He wasn’t the kid who dreamed of being an All-American or whose parents sent him to every football camp in the state of Texas while growing up. Brian is a guy who realized his potential much later than most do and has gone above and beyond to maximize it. Whether people know him as “Rak”, “B Rak,” “Osakpo”, or my dad’s favorite, “Rambo,” Brian Orakpo has become a household name and a player we’ve all enjoyed watching on Saturdays. I hope everyone is looking forward to Brian’s last game as a Horn as much as I am. I’m sure it will be yet another to remember.
Playing at linebacker as a key member of the Longhorns' 2005 National Championship team, Drew was known for his impact plays. He finished his Texas career with 70 tackles, 3.5 sacks and a pick and graduated from Texas in three and a half years with a degree in corporate communications. For Inside Texas, Drew provides post-game analysis after each Longhorn game and a weekly column on Horns, giving IT subscribers a player's perspective.
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