[ad_1]
Offensive back Gus Edwards has been the target of teasing since his teammates since Sunday.
While Edwards was interviewed, rookie linebacker Kenny Young pulled out his cell phone and placed it under Edwards' chin as a reporter about to ask the next question. Another teammate shouted "Big-Time!" To Edwards on the other side of the locker room.
"They just play with me," Edwards said with a smile.
Do not expect Edwards to be troubled by sudden attention or teasing. Whether it's to deflect jokes or get rid of tacklers, Edwards is as unobtrusive as possible. He often answers questions with the brevity of a tweet – 140 characters or less.
But Edwards made it all the way to the NFL on Sunday with 115 yards in 17 carries, including an 11-yard touchdown and a two-point conversion in the Ravens 24-21 win.
Jackson was the offensive co-star of the match with rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson, who made his first NFL start. For Jackson, the attention was not new. It's a first-round pick, a former winner of the Heisman Trophy, which has 289,000 subscribers on Twitter and plays on glamor. But the spotlight was alien to Edwards, an unregistered Rutgers free agent who started the season on the training team.
How did Edwards celebrate his best NFL game to date?
"Celebrate?" Said Edwards. "No, it's just a match. We are in the season. We do not have time to celebrate. "
The coaching staff witnessed this serious approach from Mr. Edwards for weeks, as he quietly managed his business in practice, piling up day after day. Edwards had only 15 races all season ahead for Sunday's game, but the Ravens released him on the way out of their week off. The result was a manifestation of Edwards' hard work.
"It 's not as if suddenly the guys just came in and that they were playing well," said Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. "Players say that sometimes," Give me a chance! "You have a chance every day to train. Go out and dominate. Gus did that. He does it in practice, he does it in special teams, and he does it in the few races he has had in games. The goal was to give him more chances in previous matches. It was not like it had been the week or the last two weeks, it's probably been two months since he did it. "
Being an unannounced beginner gives Edwards extra motivation to prove his affiliation. Another source of inspiration is his one-year-old son, Augustus Jr. Yes, the full name of Gus is Augustus. When asked about being a father, the face of Edwards' poker suddenly lit up.
"That's great," said Edwards. "It's a major blessing. It's fun to be around, give me a lot of energy, keep me awake when I have something to do. "
A native of Staten Island, NY, Edwards has played his first three seasons of eligibility at the University (Miami), recruited by former Hurricanes coach Al Golden, who is now the only one in the world. Detroit Lions linebacker coach.
"I knew I could trust the Golden coach because he was a New Jersey guy from the area," Edwards said. "I liked it there. I have had four good years of my life. I ended up getting my degree (liberal arts) and I met great people there.
Edwards ran for 977 yards and 12 touchdowns in his three seasons in Miami, but was never retained. Due to a foot injury, he lost the entire 2015 season, leaving him a year of eligibility after his last season in Miami in 2016.
He went to Rutgers as a graduate in 2017 to get closer to his family in New York and had his best university season (713 yards on 164 carries), putting himself on the radar for the repechage. But after remaining without a drawing, Edwards signed as a free agent with the Ravens partly because of the relationship he built with Running Backs coach Thomas Hammock during the selection process.
"I got used to Coach Thomas and I thought it was a good place to come," Edwards said. "It's awesome. He knows a lot about the game. He has made me better. I'm just trying to take everything he's taught me. "
Ravens have a crowded rotation of half-players with Edwards, Alex Collins, Allen Javorius and Ty Montgomery. Kenneth Dixon also resumed training last week and could be activated outside the injured reserve before the end of the season.
But Edwards 'racing style and Jackson's elusiveness have made the Ravens' most effective race suit this season. According to Pro Football Focus, Edwards' 6.8 yards per run and 5.4 yards per run after initial contact were the most important points of all NFL defensemen in Week 11.
Edwards is no longer under the radar. And for the Ravens, that could be a good thing.
"It's a good lesson for any young player," said Harbaugh. "If you want to play, play well. Play well every day, pile up days and gain confidence. He did a good job in this area. He must build on that. I like what he said. He's not sitting there reading his clippings. His goal is to become a better player tomorrow than he was today. "
Source link
