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I had the opportunity to catch up with Mayfield (CA) Longhorns 2019 safety commitment Chris Adimora about growing up in California (and his family's interesting story ending up there), his recruitment process as the No.1 safety in the Golden State and what's in store for the future as he heads to Texas in a few weeks:
current height/weight
"I'm 6-2 and I weigh 197 right now, that was after the (Texas) spring game."
current hand or shoe size?
"13."
when are you getting down to Texas?
"I don't graduate until the 6th (of June), so, I'm going to get out there the 7th, my flight is the next day."
family, brothers sisters, etc.?
"I live with both my parents, my sister is moved out, I've got one brother and one sister. My brother, he's 14. Right now, he's playing football here."
is your whole family from Cali? Have you lived there your whole life?
"My dad is from Nigeria and my mom is from Compton."
what do your parents do?
"When they met, my mom was a nurse and my dad was doing security at the hospital. My mom, she works at the post office now and my dad he sells cars as a stay-at-home job."
athletes in the family?
"My dad played soccer. He didn't get to continue though, because he had to come over here when he was like 20, maybe 19. So, my dad's side, we're really active with soccer moreso, I'm the first real football player."
do you like soccer?
"I tried it out, but it's not really my favorite."
what was the impetus for you dad's move to America from Nigeria?
"I think he just came for a better education. He ended up coming for that better education, but then, getting out here, it's harder than it looks -- so he didn't end up doing that. He just stayed out here, really, and as the time went on, my uncles and a few of my aunties came out here, too. So he wasn't out here alone."
when did the recruiting process begin for you?
"10th grade. 1 month after the season, maybe two months after the season I got my first offer."
who was it from?
"San Jose State."
what was the first big, 'holy-cow' offer?
"It was (USC), that was number 4. I was like, 'dang! SC?!' Cause I never really - I mean, I came to Mayfair for basketball, you know. Mayfair's a basketball school."
are you a shooting guard?
"'Yeah, I play the two, I've been playing basketball my whole life. I just actually stopped recently at the end of this season. I played the two, but I'm more of a defender on the high school team."
thoughts on recruiting camps, are you a fan?
"I think I went to one Rivals one and then I think two Nike ones. I never really went to like a school camp. Like one they hosted. I low-key don't like to involve myself with them unless I know I can stand to benefit from it. I wasn't going to be that guy to go to 10 camps just to get one coach to notice me or something like that. I think that some of the camps are like money-grabbers, really. Most aren't really like Rivals or an official Nike camp -- the others can really be like money-grabs. The ones that USC has where like 600, 800 kids will be coming out? I ain't never been to one of them."
are WR/DB 1v1s at camps harder or easier than guarding guys in the actual games?
"The camp is way harder. For sure. It's weird because the defensive guy in an actual defense has help and stuff. Nobody plays on defense and actually goes man-on-man unless you are a really good corner or whatever, so the WRs know where to hit you -- like if a slot is running full-speed at you, if I'm in a game, and I have my linebacker right there, and I've moved down into the slot, it's not going to bother me, but when it's like just him and me 1v1 and I have all the eyes looking on me, your ankles start feeling a little jittery."
how did Texas handle your recruitment?
"I think they really cared about me. More than the other schools, really. They showed me how they would put me into the scheme and how I would fit on the team. They really took the extra mile to which the other schools didn't. On top of that, the campus and stuff? Then the facility was just crazy after that, so I mean .. it was just pluses on pluses."
was there an overall message from Orlando or Naivar?
"Right now, I'm going over all three positions - I've been studying all three, the nickel, the free safety and the boundary safety to have me ready before I get there so I am not completely behind, because Coach Naivar does want me to be ready so he can see what I can do. It was Naivar who was my main recruiter. He's a laid-back dude, you got to get to know him a little bit."
how many schools used negative recruiting tactics?
"Uhh ... a lot of them." (laughs).
did Texas ever use negative recruiting?
"No."
What kind of things do schools say in negative recruiting?
"You don't know how long that coaching staff is going to be around there, I heard he's talking to this recruit or two other safeties right now, stuff like that ... the recruiting process is just (sighs) I'll just say when I committed I was ready (to have it be over). I was ready, I was ready for sure -- I knew I was going to Texas right when I stepped on campus. I just thought maybe I'd prolong it a little bit, I didn't have all the offers, I only had like 20-something offers at that point. I could have gotten more, but I was just ready you know?"
Give me a rundown of your official visit to Texas - what activities, etc - a lot of fans wonder what happens on these trips.
"You come with your parents, they pay for you and your parents. So, the first day we got in on Friday then on Saturday you wake up for breakfast, we had breakfast at the hotel, then they show your parents around campus, because, really most of the recruits have already seen it on their unofficial. It's really mostly for the parents. It's a lot like a tour that day. Then, at night, they let you go out with the players. We went out to eat, I forgot the name of the steakhouse, I know it was an expensive one (laughs). The next day it's breakfast and you really just have one-on-one talks with the coaches and your parents."
What was it about Texas that made you decide ultimately?
"I had taken a couple of other unofficials, like five of them, and when I got to Texas, it just really felt like home. Like Cali away from Cali. That downtown feels just like downtown over here. The people, the vibe, the weather, I was like man, this is just like Cali, compared to when I went to like, let's say ... Utah ... and it was snowing and there wasn't ... just ... I guess there wasn't anything like Cali in Utah."
were there any current players you connected with?
"I know a lot of guys, I'm pretty familiar with most of the team. I was cool with Kris Boyd, Deshon Elliott. All the seniors that just went on. The sophomore class and then my class. The junior class I don't really know as many of them. I've been to Texas around four times but I've really gotten to know mainly those freshmen, sophomores and some of the departing seniors."
have you talked with DeGabriel Floyd about his experience so far at UT?
"That's my guy, he's like my brother you know? Before anything happened it looked like everything was going good for him, he was saying 'man it's wild!', you know we would FaceTime and everything looked like it was going good. I just tell him, I'll be down there soon and we're fixing to get right. But, yeah, with whatever happened (with Floyd's spinal stenosis diagnosis) it's kinda hard."
what do you love about playing safety?
"I like how it is like being the QB of defense. You get to see everything."
is there an art to being 'in the right place at the right time?'
"No. I think really the safety position and how good you are simply comes down to instincts."
What's the difference if you had to tell someone who doesn't watch much football between free and boundary safety?
"To me, a free would be more of the cover guy, the guy who can cover more space and ground while the boundary safety is more towards the boundary side (the short side of the field) playing against the slower wide receivers. If you have a guy you call 'strong,' I take that to mean a curl/flat defender to the strong side."
Is there one you like better?
"It depends on what the playbook is really. At Texas, they use their safeties to do everything!" (laughs)
As a safety is more important to have speed to cover ground or thump to come downhill and hit?
"Well me, you know I'm not that big so I have to depend on my speed. And when you depend on your instincts and your speed sometimes you do mess up on occasion sometimes so having that speed there to back you up means you'll never be wrong."
Quick Q&A - Getting to know Chris Adimora
planned major
"I'm not sure yet, but thinking about Sociology."
favorite outdoor activity (not football related)
"I just don't do anything anymore but football."
Best pizza topping
"Bacon, pepperoni."
Nike, Under armour or Adidas
"Nike."
In N' Out or Whataburger
"In N' Out." (no Whataburger in Cali, he says he'll try Whataburger soon).
Beach or mountains
"Beach."
favorite musical artist right now?
"Lil Durk."
NSFW language
Old Town Road - Good or Bad?
"It's good. Good. It's catchy, I like it."
Gatorade or Powerade
"Gatorade."
Best flavor
"Glacier Freeze."
Favorite restaurant
"Chick-Fil-A."
How do you like your steaks cooked
"Medium-well."
Beef ribs or pork ribs
"Beef."
Favorite NFL team
"Raiders."
Favorite NFL player
"Jamal Adams."
....... and most importantly:
Chili - beans or no beans
"Without. No beans."
The Absolute BEST in family and cosmetic dentistry for the Houston-Memorial Area
Now Accepting New Patients --- 281-293-9140
I had the opportunity to catch up with Mayfield (CA) Longhorns 2019 safety commitment Chris Adimora about growing up in California (and his family's interesting story ending up there), his recruitment process as the No.1 safety in the Golden State and what's in store for the future as he heads to Texas in a few weeks:
current height/weight
"I'm 6-2 and I weigh 197 right now, that was after the (Texas) spring game."
current hand or shoe size?
"13."
when are you getting down to Texas?
"I don't graduate until the 6th (of June), so, I'm going to get out there the 7th, my flight is the next day."
family, brothers sisters, etc.?
"I live with both my parents, my sister is moved out, I've got one brother and one sister. My brother, he's 14. Right now, he's playing football here."
is your whole family from Cali? Have you lived there your whole life?
"My dad is from Nigeria and my mom is from Compton."
what do your parents do?
"When they met, my mom was a nurse and my dad was doing security at the hospital. My mom, she works at the post office now and my dad he sells cars as a stay-at-home job."
athletes in the family?
"My dad played soccer. He didn't get to continue though, because he had to come over here when he was like 20, maybe 19. So, my dad's side, we're really active with soccer moreso, I'm the first real football player."
do you like soccer?
"I tried it out, but it's not really my favorite."
what was the impetus for you dad's move to America from Nigeria?
"I think he just came for a better education. He ended up coming for that better education, but then, getting out here, it's harder than it looks -- so he didn't end up doing that. He just stayed out here, really, and as the time went on, my uncles and a few of my aunties came out here, too. So he wasn't out here alone."
when did the recruiting process begin for you?
"10th grade. 1 month after the season, maybe two months after the season I got my first offer."
who was it from?
"San Jose State."
what was the first big, 'holy-cow' offer?
"It was (USC), that was number 4. I was like, 'dang! SC?!' Cause I never really - I mean, I came to Mayfair for basketball, you know. Mayfair's a basketball school."
are you a shooting guard?
"'Yeah, I play the two, I've been playing basketball my whole life. I just actually stopped recently at the end of this season. I played the two, but I'm more of a defender on the high school team."
thoughts on recruiting camps, are you a fan?
"I think I went to one Rivals one and then I think two Nike ones. I never really went to like a school camp. Like one they hosted. I low-key don't like to involve myself with them unless I know I can stand to benefit from it. I wasn't going to be that guy to go to 10 camps just to get one coach to notice me or something like that. I think that some of the camps are like money-grabbers, really. Most aren't really like Rivals or an official Nike camp -- the others can really be like money-grabs. The ones that USC has where like 600, 800 kids will be coming out? I ain't never been to one of them."
are WR/DB 1v1s at camps harder or easier than guarding guys in the actual games?
"The camp is way harder. For sure. It's weird because the defensive guy in an actual defense has help and stuff. Nobody plays on defense and actually goes man-on-man unless you are a really good corner or whatever, so the WRs know where to hit you -- like if a slot is running full-speed at you, if I'm in a game, and I have my linebacker right there, and I've moved down into the slot, it's not going to bother me, but when it's like just him and me 1v1 and I have all the eyes looking on me, your ankles start feeling a little jittery."
how did Texas handle your recruitment?
"I think they really cared about me. More than the other schools, really. They showed me how they would put me into the scheme and how I would fit on the team. They really took the extra mile to which the other schools didn't. On top of that, the campus and stuff? Then the facility was just crazy after that, so I mean .. it was just pluses on pluses."
was there an overall message from Orlando or Naivar?
"Right now, I'm going over all three positions - I've been studying all three, the nickel, the free safety and the boundary safety to have me ready before I get there so I am not completely behind, because Coach Naivar does want me to be ready so he can see what I can do. It was Naivar who was my main recruiter. He's a laid-back dude, you got to get to know him a little bit."
how many schools used negative recruiting tactics?
"Uhh ... a lot of them." (laughs).
did Texas ever use negative recruiting?
"No."
What kind of things do schools say in negative recruiting?
"You don't know how long that coaching staff is going to be around there, I heard he's talking to this recruit or two other safeties right now, stuff like that ... the recruiting process is just (sighs) I'll just say when I committed I was ready (to have it be over). I was ready, I was ready for sure -- I knew I was going to Texas right when I stepped on campus. I just thought maybe I'd prolong it a little bit, I didn't have all the offers, I only had like 20-something offers at that point. I could have gotten more, but I was just ready you know?"
Give me a rundown of your official visit to Texas - what activities, etc - a lot of fans wonder what happens on these trips.
"You come with your parents, they pay for you and your parents. So, the first day we got in on Friday then on Saturday you wake up for breakfast, we had breakfast at the hotel, then they show your parents around campus, because, really most of the recruits have already seen it on their unofficial. It's really mostly for the parents. It's a lot like a tour that day. Then, at night, they let you go out with the players. We went out to eat, I forgot the name of the steakhouse, I know it was an expensive one (laughs). The next day it's breakfast and you really just have one-on-one talks with the coaches and your parents."
What was it about Texas that made you decide ultimately?
"I had taken a couple of other unofficials, like five of them, and when I got to Texas, it just really felt like home. Like Cali away from Cali. That downtown feels just like downtown over here. The people, the vibe, the weather, I was like man, this is just like Cali, compared to when I went to like, let's say ... Utah ... and it was snowing and there wasn't ... just ... I guess there wasn't anything like Cali in Utah."
were there any current players you connected with?
"I know a lot of guys, I'm pretty familiar with most of the team. I was cool with Kris Boyd, Deshon Elliott. All the seniors that just went on. The sophomore class and then my class. The junior class I don't really know as many of them. I've been to Texas around four times but I've really gotten to know mainly those freshmen, sophomores and some of the departing seniors."
have you talked with DeGabriel Floyd about his experience so far at UT?
"That's my guy, he's like my brother you know? Before anything happened it looked like everything was going good for him, he was saying 'man it's wild!', you know we would FaceTime and everything looked like it was going good. I just tell him, I'll be down there soon and we're fixing to get right. But, yeah, with whatever happened (with Floyd's spinal stenosis diagnosis) it's kinda hard."
what do you love about playing safety?
"I like how it is like being the QB of defense. You get to see everything."
is there an art to being 'in the right place at the right time?'
"No. I think really the safety position and how good you are simply comes down to instincts."
What's the difference if you had to tell someone who doesn't watch much football between free and boundary safety?
"To me, a free would be more of the cover guy, the guy who can cover more space and ground while the boundary safety is more towards the boundary side (the short side of the field) playing against the slower wide receivers. If you have a guy you call 'strong,' I take that to mean a curl/flat defender to the strong side."
Is there one you like better?
"It depends on what the playbook is really. At Texas, they use their safeties to do everything!" (laughs)
As a safety is more important to have speed to cover ground or thump to come downhill and hit?
"Well me, you know I'm not that big so I have to depend on my speed. And when you depend on your instincts and your speed sometimes you do mess up on occasion sometimes so having that speed there to back you up means you'll never be wrong."
* * *
Quick Q&A - Getting to know Chris Adimora
planned major
"I'm not sure yet, but thinking about Sociology."
favorite outdoor activity (not football related)
"I just don't do anything anymore but football."
Best pizza topping
"Bacon, pepperoni."
Nike, Under armour or Adidas
"Nike."
In N' Out or Whataburger
"In N' Out." (no Whataburger in Cali, he says he'll try Whataburger soon).
Beach or mountains
"Beach."
favorite musical artist right now?
"Lil Durk."
NSFW language
Old Town Road - Good or Bad?
"It's good. Good. It's catchy, I like it."
Gatorade or Powerade
"Gatorade."
Best flavor
"Glacier Freeze."
Favorite restaurant
"Chick-Fil-A."
How do you like your steaks cooked
"Medium-well."
Beef ribs or pork ribs
"Beef."
Favorite NFL team
"Raiders."
Favorite NFL player
"Jamal Adams."
....... and most importantly:
Chili - beans or no beans
"Without. No beans."
