Ty'Reke James takes long path to the top for UTEP football
Ty’Reke James’ path to the top for the UTEP football team was difficult in many ways, but the hardest part was the waiting in line.
That began in 2019 when he transferred from Contra Costa College in California, part of the big junior college class that transformed the program, but unlike many of his recruiting classmates, James wasn’t someone UTEP plugged right in.
He came here as a junior and now, in his fourth year in the program, he’s approaching the end of a long journey, one that now has him established as a starting safety as UTEP prepares to play at Rice.
Until the suspension of Justin Prince after two games, that wasn’t something that was fated, but James is a man who has paid his dues.
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“You go from being THE GUY at all levels, from Pop Warner to high school, even in JUCO I was a starter,” said James, whose only Division I offers out of Contra Costa were UTEP and Sacramento State.
“Then I had to come here and take a step back because other guys had more experience than me and played better than me at the time.
“It took patience, it took me working harder to get on the field. Now that I’m there, it feels really good. I've been getting all that experience under my belt and finally getting to play college football week-in, week-out, the preparation, it feels good.”
The results have been better than good. James is the team’s fourth-leading tackler, has one of the team’s three interceptions and also has a 26-yard fumble return.
This comes after starting four games last season, one in 2020 and redshirting in 2019. Through those years James was laying a foundation, and while he wasn’t tabbed as a starter at the dawn of this season, his success isn’t a surprise.
“He's a good story for us,” coach Dana Dimel said. “He's super smart, that's the No. 1 thing. He's a really, really intelligent player and does a good job with the plays.
“He's very athletic, too. At the beginning of the year we didn't know he would be in the starting lineup, but we wanted him to be with us because we knew how reliable was.
“He's come on and had a really good senior season. I'm excited for him, he's one of the hardest-working, best prepared kids you're ever going to get a chance to coach.”
When asked about his skill set, James started in the same spot as Dimel.
“I'm a high IQ guy,” he said. “I bring versatility, I can play several positions, I know the whole defense. I bring energy and leadership.”
Said Dimel: "He's a guy so important to the program. He stepped into a starting role and we haven't missed a beat. He's been a big positive for our program. He’s a guy who really cares.”
Speaking of versatility, James also runs a YouTube station, RekeTV, something he’s thought about making a career of.
“Growing up I watched a lot of YouTube,” he said. “If football doesn't work out, I do enjoy other things in life and YouTube is one of them. I make videos and have fun with it: public interviews, pranks, blogs, things like that.”
Right now he’s worked his way into a leading role for the UTEP football team which is also something he’s angled for for his whole life.
“Getting that experience and playing college football, that's always been my dream since I was a baby,” he said. “Play college football, play on TV, to finally do that, it’s exciting but it’s also nerve-racking.
“You don't want to make any mistakes, but it was super exciting.” The results have been exciting for UTEP as well.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at 915-546-6359; bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Ty'Reke James takes long path to the top for UTEP football team
