Yahya Attia came to Colorado with very little experience in football.
This season, he’s not only gaining experience, but showing off his versatility.
A redshirt freshman who was born in Egypt and learned football at the NFL Academy in Loughborough, England, Attia has become a valuable piece of the offensive line for the Buffs (3-7, 1-6 Big 12), who host Arizona State on Saturday.
“I’ve been comfortable since I’ve (been) here, it’s just the coaches giving me the opportunity to finally show what I can do,” the 6-foot-4, 340-pound Attia said this past week.
Attia came off the bench on Nov. 1 against Arizona to play a career-high 76 snaps, at left guard. On Nov. 8, at West Virginia, he got the start at left guard, playing 58 snaps.
This season, he has also lined up at right guard, center and as a tight end in jumbo packages.
“He’s nothing to be played with when he gets in there,” head coach Deion Sanders of Attia in September. “He does the job we ask him to do.”
Recent injuries to guard Xavier Hill (who missed one game) and left tackle Jordan Seaton (who didn’t play against West Virginia) allowed Attia to get on the field, and he’s made the most of it.
Hill is back in the lineup and the Buffs hope to have Seaton back soon. But Attia is ready to go in any spot where he’s needed.
“That’s what’s gonna get me quick on the field,” he said. “They told me, ‘Want to play tight end?’ I said, Yes. … I practice guard, center, whatever. Like, I’m just ready to play whatever. I played right guard in the game, I play left guard in the game, I play center in the game. So I don’t really care.”
Overall, Attia has made a lot of progress in his short time in the game. Born in Egypt, he moved to Austria at 3 years old. He grew up playing soccer, but had some injuries and grew out of that sport physically.
He’s been playing for only about three years and spent last season redshirting and learning from Buffs coaches and teammates.
“I had no college experience at all,” he said. “Limited reps. But the thing that really helped me is, I couldn’t show everything on the field because of the limited reps in practice, but off the field, I’m just like watching tape, learning the playbook, learning the defense. I’m international. I know I’m new to the game, but I feel like I’m one of the smartest (players).”
ASU game time
On Sunday, the Big 12 announced that Saturday’s game at Folsom Field – the home finale for the Buffs – has been slated for a 6 p.m. kickoff. The game will be televised on ESPN2.
This will be the eighth time in 11 games that CU will kick off at 5 p.m. MT or later. It’ll mark CU’s seventh appearance on the ESPN networks, the first six on the flagship station.