Colorado Buffaloes edge rusher Yamil Talib broke out during Saturday’s game against the Kansas State Wildcats. He racked up eight tackles, four solo tackles, two sacks and two tackles for loss in Colorado’s 27-24 win.

After that performance, Talib took to the podium during Tuesday’s press conference. He reflected on his breakout game, even giving insight into a lesson he learned from his uncle, legendary NFL cornerback Aqib Talib.

Yamil Talib’s first thoughts on his breakout performance

When asked for his evaluation of his breakout game, Talib gave credit to the defensive playmakers around him. He evaluated the game from the perspective of the defensive unit as a whole, and how it plans to build on that game moving forward.

“It felt really good just going out there as a defense and ultimately getting the win,” Talib said. “We had a few struggles early in the season, but I just think our defense is going to keep going out there [and performing] no matter the opponent.”

Talib was joined in disrupting the Wildcats’ backfield by linebacker Gideon ESPN Lampron. Lampron had two sacks of his own on Saturday and reflected on how proud he was of Talib’s journey to that moment.

“I’m so proud of him,” said Lampron postgame. “He was hurt a decent amount of the season, and for him to step in during a tough conference game and perform as he did … that really speaks to the defensive coaches, the defensive line and all of their mentality, especially his fortitude and toughness to step up and make those plays.”

How recovering from injury helped Yamil Talib’s confidence

The injury that Lampron mentioned was one that had Talib sidelined during the fall and had him playing catch-up with the rest of the Buffs’ edge rushers. The likes of Lamont Lester Jr. and Toby Anene have seen the lion’s share of the snaps, but Talib may have changed that theme after his dominant performance on Saturday.

“It was really more mental,” Talib said. “I was overcoming a little shoulder injury, but now I can rely on my shoulder without it getting hurt. So that’s really what it was. I just felt like I was able to fully play on it during the game on Saturday.”

Talib was undeniable on Saturday, as even with a healthy Lester, Colorado couldn’t take him off the field with the game he was having. Now that he’s fully healthy, Talib has an opening to become a fixture on the Buffaloes’ defense. 

A lesson Yamil Talib learned from Aqib Talib

He’s been prepared for this moment his whole life, though, as his uncle, Aqib Talib, was a fixture on a number of great defenses during his NFL career. With that type of success in the bloodline, Yamil Talib has had a wealth of knowledge at his disposal during his development. 

Yamil's preparation for this game went a long way, a skill he picked up from Aqib.

 “[He taught me about] film watching,” Yamil said. “Film will tell you [about a team], especially in college, because most college teams do the same things throughout the year. So the more you watch film and are able to identify formations and guess what you’re going to get before the play, you’ll be able to play better.”

So, as Yamil makes his presence known down the stretch, he’s got his unique journey to thank for turning him into the player he is.