Daimler ready to take next step
Christian Daimler signed with Oklahoma in 2013 as an undersized offensive tackle prospect. The fact he’s still in Norman without significant playing time over the last three years is a win for most players in his situation.
He came to OU with expectations of playing early.
That’s no different than any recruit that signs with the Sooners.
“It’s been a long process,” said Daimler. “Obviously I’ve been here and this is my fourth year here and I haven’t been able to get on the field and obviously when I came here that’s not what I was expecting.”
Those words hint at the frustration he’s felt not being able to contribute to the football program on gamedays.
Those frustrations are turning to optimism after a solid spring for the redshirt junior from Houston.
“I feel like I’ve worked really hard while I’ve been here and I finally put on a lot of weight and I’ve got enough strength for me to really make a move this year and getting in that lineup and make an impact so I’m really excited about it,” said Daimler.
It’s taken time for Daimler to get bigger and stronger. He came to OU as a 6-foot-7, 270-pound string bean.
Now Daimler is finally starting to fill out. He's put on over 40 pounds, all good weight, since his arrival. Now that 6-foot-7 frame is starting to look menacing.
“I’ve just kept working. I’ve kept my head down and I haven’t made a whole bunch of noise about it,” he said. “I haven’t gotten frustrated with the coaches or anything and I kept true to the system and just kept working hard and I feel like right now it’s time for me to make a move.”
How did Daimler keep from getting frustrated and checking out like so many other recruits seem to do in his position?
He says he had a good support system in his parents, his coaches and his teammates.
“There’s a great group of guys on this team,” he said. “They’ve made it a lot easier process.”
Daimler has also done something a lot of recruits fail to do when they come to a college campus as a big-time athlete: He dove head first into university life.
“This is a great university and there’s a lot of people that come here to do other things than just play football,” he said. “I’ve made some great friends outside of football and I’ve been really involved with other people and also my teammates. I’ve been really excited about all the new people that have been in my life.”
Right now, one of the biggest people in Daimler’s life is his teammate, and the player he competes directly with for playing time: Dru Samia.
“Dru and I both push each other. He’s a young guy and he came in here ready to play. He’s been a heck of a player for us,” said Daimler. “I look at him for some things because he’s been able to play, but I’ve also been here for a while so I know some things that he asks me. We’ve been able to lean on each other and just work really hard as a duo.”
Daimler can also learn from last season. Offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh started the season with one lineup and ended the season with a completely different lineup.
Orlando Brown and Samia ended up taking over the tackle spots from Josiah St. John and Derek Farniok.
Bedenbaugh could also move Samia to right guard and leave Daimler out as the starting right tackle if that becomes his best lineup.
He's worked that lineup from time-to-time this spring.
As appreciative as Daimler is of the support system that’s kept him involved when his athletic career didn’t take off, what he wants more than anything is to step back into the role that brought him to Norman in the first place.
He wants to be a key piece of the OU football team.
“It’s about more than football, but right now it’s about football,” said Daimler.