By Austin Kleber

Kingsley Opara had to ask fellow defensive lineman Roman Braglio for the play call multiple times during a downpour in the Terps’ Week 2 matchup against Florida International. Opara had trouble seeing the signal caller, even though he was standing on the sideline in a bright-colored shirt.

When he’s not playing football, Opara wears glasses. During games and practices, he ditches the glasses and chooses not to wear contacts.

“I go out there blind,” Opara said. “I just feel like [contacts are] going to fall out and I’ll be like, ‘Oh my

God, where is it!’”

The junior’s eyesight poses only a minor issue on the defensive line because  plays unfold right under his nose.

“If I played quarterback, I’d probably look like Jameis Winston with how he squints,” Opara said. “Thank God I play D-line.”

Despite his occasional troubles seeing the play signals, the coaches don’t force Opara to wear contacts.

“They just let me do me,” Opara said. “I see [everything] for the most part, but usually I’ll just ask for signals.”

The coaches encourage the players to be themselves and show their personality on and off the field. Opara has taken full advantage of the opportunity.

“I feel like I’m an energy guy,” Opara said. “I’m kind of a character on the team, like the funny guy, so the coaches let me be me.”

There’s a saying around the team for Opara and his antics. The phrase is ‘Kingsley being Kingsley.’

“He’s always joking around and cracking jokes in practice and team meetings,” linebacker Shane Cockerille said. “Kingsley’s Kingsley. He’s just an overall funny dude.”

Opara’s presence is felt in more than just the locker room. The nose tackle has emerged as a difference-maker on the Terps’ defense this season after getting little playing time under former head coach Randy Edsall.

With only a bowl game remaining, he is second on the team with 11 tackles for a loss.

“He gets off the ball pretty well,” defensive coordinator Andy Buh said. “He’s probably one of the better pass rushers that we have inside.”

Buh called Opara a complete player and someone the Terps can trust for all four downs regardless of the game situation.

“We can keep him in during pass rush situations as a big guy and not miss a beat there,” Buh said. “Other guys in that position, not so much.”

Opara took pride in that compliment from Buh because being versatile is something he spends much of his time working on.

“I know I’m a big guy so I’m always going to be sturdy against the run. I know pass rushing is the thing I always need to work on,” Opara said. “Whatever I need to do to stay on the field, that’s what I try to do.”

Cockerille said that Opara does more than what shows up on the stat sheet.

“He’s a big, strong, athletic guy that often times requires two or more blockers, which frees up me and Jermaine [Carter] in the back,” Cockerille said. “There’s nobody to block us so we can just make plays off them.”

The Jacksonville, Florida, native said his dream is to make it to the NFL. For now, he’s just trying to do whatever he can to help the team.

“You’ve got to be as versatile as possible, so whatever coach Buh, coach Durkin need me to play to help the team win, I’ll do it,” Opara said. “If they want me to play quarterback, I’ll do it.”