Tyler Tupa couldn’t help but smile as he walked into the post-game press conference.
He still donned full uniform, wore all of his arm bands and hadn’t removed his black Adidas headband, tied in a knot that hung out the back of his helmet during the game.
The redshirt junior had plenty to smile about after Ohio’s 41-20 win over Rhode Island on Saturday at Peden Stadium. Aside from the victory, Tupa had a role that didn’t feature hyping his teammates up and waving a towel around.
He was actually in the game.
Tupa’s spent his whole career at Ohio dealing with injuries and missed most of last season recovering from a knee injury. He only played in three games before the Bobcats’ season opener against the Rams, yet he’s been on the team since 2016.
Now, he’s finally healthy. His desire to show his worth throughout fall camp was apparent — he stayed in the heat after two-hour practices working on routes, catching extra balls and working on the little things.
After three receptions, 49 yards and a touchdown, the extra work showed some return.
“It’s been a long time,“ Tupa said. “I’ve been waiting. It felt amazing to back out there.”
Tupa was the inside receiver on a bunch formation and essentially coasted his way in between the soft Cover 2 scheme that Rhode Island was in.
After a look to quarterback Nathan Rourke and 22 yards later, Tupa was in the end zone with his teammates celebrating his first career touchdown.
“It was the best feeling in the world,” he said. “(It) felt like it was the first time I was playing football again.”
In a sense, it was. He hasn’t played meaningful snaps since he was at Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School, where he was a two-way player. Three years later, he still holds school records for most catches, receiving yards and touchdowns.
He’s a talent head coach Frank Solich knew would eventually blossom. They first met at an Ohio sponsored camp where Tupa caught Solich’s eye. Though there’s been roadblocks for the receiver, Solich is optimistic that it’s now Tupa’s time.
“It’s time for him to have a good stretch here, where stays healthy and can show what he’s all about,” Solich said through a smile.
Tupa’s performance was the highlight of the young and inexperienced receiver room. All offseason, questions loomed how the Bobcats wouldo replace guys like Papi White and Andrew Meyer – the two accounted for over 1,400 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns.
Aside from redshirt junior Cam Odom, who has appeared in 25 games, the receiver room doesn’t carry the in-game experience that Ohio is accustomed to. Between five different receivers, the Bobcats only have 17 game reps after Odom’s 25.
The good news for Ohio? Between now and November, there is ample opportunities for that raw talent to cultivate into what could be a special season at wide receiver. And if stat lines from players like Tupa can become a weekly habit, the unknowns will become known.
For now, Ohio likes it’s youth. It’s something Rourke feels will become more advantageous for Ohio as opposing teams will have a more difficult time preparing for five or six different players instead of just keying on one or two.
“I think we have potential (where) that one guy can have a really good game and contributes a lot,“ Rourke said. “The defense adjusts, and then we another guy (do it). We have so much talent and so much depth. That’s what we’re excited about and that’s what we’re looking forward to.”
It was just one game, and there are at least 11 more to go. In a season of unknowns, for now, Tupa established that the talent Solich saw three years ago wasn’t a fluke. It wasn’t a misjudgment. Even though it took a couple of seasons, it turned into just one thing.
A reason to smile.
