Ed Oliver

BIOGRAPHY

Edward Oliver was born on December 12th, 1997, in Houston, Texas. He is a defensive tackle in the National Football League.

Oliver is the son of Dana and Ed Oliver Sr. He has an older brother, Marcus, who also played for the University of Houston. Oliver’s passions extended beyond the football field to include horseback riding.  Oliver has been around horses for most of his lie and says that being around them helped him in learning to conquer his fears. He listed one of his horses Oreo, as being the most impactful on him overcoming those fears. 

Ed Oliver attended Westfield High School in Houston, Texas.  During his Junior and senior seasons he recorded 167 tackles, 16 sacks, and an interception. He helped lead his team to an 11-1 record and into the 2015 UIL playoffs.  He was rated as a consensus five-star recruit and among the top players in his class.  He received college offers from more than 13 big-time Division 1 schools, including Oklahoma, Alabama, LSU, Notre Dame, Texas, and UCLA, to name a few.  He signed with The University of Houston on 05/21/2015, making him the first five-star recruit in history to commit to a school outside the Power Five conferences.

At Houston, Oliver became an immediate starter in his true freshman year in 2016. He started all 12 games during the regular season, recording 60 tackles and five sacks. He was named the winner of the Bill Willis Trophy, becoming the first freshman to win the award. In 2017, Oliver's sophomore season, he was selected to the Walter Camp All-America first team and won the Outland Trophy, presented to the nation's top interior lineman. During his collegiate career, he became the first Houston Player ever to earn All-American distinction three times. He finished second in the nation with 23 tackles for a loss including 5 sacks in 2016 and led the nation in 2017 with an average of 1.56 tackles for loss per game. Oliver finished his career as Houston with 193 tackles, 54 for a loss, 13.5 sacks, and 6 forced fumbles in 33 games. He majored in Health while at Houston. Following his junior year in 2018, Oliver decided to forego his senior year and enter the 2019 NFL Draft.

Ed Oliver was selected in the first round with the 9th overall pick, by the Buffalo Bills, in the 2019 NFL Draft. On April 26, 2022, the Bills picked up the fifth-year option on Oliver's contract. In Week 12, Oliver had six tackles, two for a loss, a safety, a forced fumble and recovery in a 28-25 win over the Lions, earning AFC Defensive Player of the Week.

Oliver entered the 2021 season as a starting defensive tackle. He started all 17 games, recording 41 tackles, four sacks and a forced fumble.

On April 26, 2022, the Bills picked up the fifth-year option on Oliver's contract. In Week 12, Oliver had six tackles, two for a loss, a safety, a forced fumble and recovery in a 28-25 win over the Lions, earning AFC Defensive Player of the Week.