Editor’s note: TCU Football improved to 1-1 on Sept. 9 with a home victory against Nicholls State, and the Horned Frogs open play Sept. 16 in the Big 12 Conference at Houston. Offensive lineman Andrew Coker is from Katy, just outside of Houston, and his Nigeria-born father came to the United States to study at Houston. This game has special meaning for Coker. 

We can’t get caught up by talking about last year. Last year’s team is last year’s team. We’re a totally different group. 

One thing that we did last season and that we do well is we try to take everything one week at a time. Don’t get caught looking ahead, don’t start circling games on the schedule, and I think we’ve done a good job with that. I think we should keep going, keep moving forward with that. This week we’ve got Houston in Houston, and that’s all we’re focusing on. 

Photo by Percise Windom

We’ve had two games where, as an offensive line, I think sometimes, “We didn’t play very well.” There’s an urgency that comes from us trying to feel that desire, that want-to, that attention to detail to be great, because we know if we could put it together on both sides, offense and defense, nobody’s going to stop us. 

I think that’s the big urgency, the big selling point. We’re going on the road. It’s going to be a great atmosphere going into the University of Houston. We have a lot of kids on this team from Houston. I’m from the Houston area, so it means a lot to me and I can’t wait to get down there and play. 

I have as many people coming to the game as I can. I had so many people reach out for tickets, and I didn’t want to tell anybody no. I got my immediate family, and anybody who was wanting to come to the game, I was like, “Listen, I don’t know if I can help you, but I’ll do my best.” But I do have a good number, 12 or 13. 

My dad is a football fan because all of us, his kids, play it. But if we didn’t play, football would be in the back of his mind. He came to America when he was 21 years old and went to the University of Houston and studied accounting, so this game’s going to be pretty special for him. I remember asking him, did he go to any U of H football games when he was at college, and he said no. I think this is the first time he’s going to be in the stadium. It’ll be pretty cool. 

Photo by Percise Windom

He just always tells me good job, no matter what. That’s just the dad in him. In my family my mom’s the critic. My mom’s the one going, “Yeah, that wasn’t very good” or “You could have done this better.” My dad is like, “Don’t listen to your mom. You were great.” 

It’s a really big game for me, and I think I felt myself have a little bit of extra juice in practice today. And I don’t know why, but I would almost say it’s because we’re going to be playing the University of Houston. 

Houston’s coach, Dana Holgorsen — his nephews all went to my high school. We’ve known their family for a while. This was back when he was at West Virginia. I have a lot of respect for Coach Holgorsen. 

Houston recruited me. It was Tom Herman and then Major Applewhite. The one thing about Houston is they really want to try to get guys in the Houston area, and they’ve done a good job doing it. 

Three of their defensive linemen I played in high school, so it’s going to be fun. Another defensive lineman went to one of the schools in my district. I just didn’t play him because I think I was two years older. 

I’m excited. I’m excited for this one not only because I’m playing at the University of Houston but we’re playing Houston and they have a good defensive line. It’s going to be a good game, good for me in all phases. I can’t wait.