Being loud doesn’t always translate to being good.
Colorado State linebacker Oumar Diomande knows that. In the locker room, Diomande leads by example, rather than leading with his voice.
“He’s not a huge talker,” CSU linebackers coach Jordan Frost-Dixon said. “But I think his maturity and his demeanor, it’s easy to follow.”
In his first year as a Ram, Diomande has been making waves as a centerpiece of the CSU defense, which has forced a staggering 10 turnovers through its first three games of the season.
A Bronx, New York, native, Diomande had a difficult path to college football.
“Oumar is an unbelievable story,” CSU head coach Jim Mora said. “Oumar was running around a playground in the Bronx, New York, and someone sent us a video from an iPhone (of) this kid playing in the rain, and we’re like, ‘Who is this kid?’ He had a really tough upbringing, and he loves football, and I think he’s worth taking a shot on.”
Diomande has been flying around the field for the Rams to start the season; he is currently third on the team in tackles with 18.
In addition to his ability to get involved in the play and shut down big gains, Diomande also has two interceptions and a fumble recovery to his name.
“I think my focus, I focus a lot this season on the small details,” Diomande said. “I just went out there and played.”
As the beating heart of the Rams defense, Diomande has commanded a lot of attention when it comes to his style of play.
Frost-Dixon, in his time before coaching at CSU, coached a handful of All-American linebackers, and he noticed some obvious similarities between those players and Diomande.
“Man, (it’s) the focus,” Frost-Dixon said. “Linebacker can be difficult, but again, the focus, the intentionality and just the purpose that (he) comes out with every day is something that I’m happy about, and I’m proud of him about.”
Diomande followed Mora from UConn after spending three seasons there.
Part of his decision to follow Mora more than 1,800 miles to CSU was the fact Mora took a chance on him when he was just a high school kid playing football in the rain. The other factor in his decision was how much Mora truly cares about his players.
“I didn’t get that (many) offers, but coach Mora took a chance on me,” Diomande said. “It’s just how he cares about his players, you know? For him, it’s more outside of football than, you know, regular football. He would take care of everyone. Anytime you need anything he’ll be there.”
Playing in front of a packed Canvas Stadium crowd is a far cry from what Diomande experienced during his time at UConn.
While the two schools’ stadiums have a similar capacity, Diomande said the turnout at Canvas Stadium is much higher than it was on the East Coast.
“It’s amazing,” Diomande said. “I’ll say it’s a better crowd than UConn. Everyone’s just, like, engaged into the football team, and everyone just loves football around Fort Collins.”
To Frost-Dixon, it’s apparent Diomande is a crucial part of a strong defensive unit for the Rams.
“Everyone’s important, obviously, but I think his ability to play in the middle, (to) put him in different spots to be successful, to help affect the offense and just to do his job,” Frost-Dixon said. “He’s super important in terms of where he is and how he can attack the offense for us.”
Even though he’s a quiet leader in the locker room, Diomande’s play style has been making noise across college football this season.
While Diomande is often credited on his ability to focus, he pointed out two other areas he said he believes has aided in his success so far.
“My physicality, I think that’s for sure one of my biggest pros,” Diomande said. “And I’ll say my IQ, my IQ is somewhere up there, but it needs a lot of work for sure.”
Above all else, Diomande just wants to win.
“I want to win every week,” Diomande said. “That’s the goal right there.”
The linebacker said living in Fort Collins has been an enjoyable experience thus far, and he said he particularly loves being able to meet CSU fans around town.
“I like walking around (Old Town) all the time,” Diomande said. “There’s a lot of amazing people to meet.”
Diomande carries the weight of the CSU defense on his shoulders, and he does so to help his family, who have supported him all these years.
“My family is the biggest part,” Diomande said. “We didn’t have a lot coming up, so (I’m) just doing everything on the field to help build them out of that situation.”
Diomande’s motivation does not go unnoticed by his teammates and the coaching staff. In football, work ethic is what makes the player, and Diomande’s work ethic is simply unmatched.
His desire to win is fierce, and he plays the game with a chip on his shoulder. His mentality contributes to a CSU defense which has forced a shocking number of turnovers through the first two games of the season and, with another year of eligibility remaining after this season, Diomande is settled into a key role for a Rams team that has College Football Playoff hopes.
“His play style and production, obviously, speaks for itself,” Frost-Dixon said. “But the person that he is and the work ethic is what does it for him.
Reach Jack Randels at sports@collegian.com or on social media @jackrandelsmedia.
