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Quarterback at KSU flashes many talents for the Flashes
By Jonas Fortune
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Monday, Nov 10, 2008
KENT: Browns special teams ace Josh Cribbs ripped through the Baltimore Ravens on a 92-yard kickoff return last Sunday for a touchdown and 278 punt- and kick-return yards.
Not bad for the former Kent State quarterback.
Julian Edelman, the current quarterback at KSU, didn't watch the game. He was trying to find former teammate Jack Williams, who plays for the Denver Broncos, watching his hometown San Francisco 49ers and even watching game film in preparation for the contest against Temple on Wednesday at Dix Stadium.
One could argue that multi-tasking has become second nature for the senior from Redwood City, Calif. With 49 more rushing yards this season, he will join Cribbs as the only KSU players in history to rush and pass for 1,000 yards in the same season.
Edelman leads the Mid-American Conference in rushing per conference game at 129.4 yards. His 951 rushing yards rank 14th in the nation. He also has completed 54.1 percent of his passes for 1,348 yards.
He has punted twice this season, too, is now a mainstay on the punt coverage team and, starting against Temple, will be the team's full-time punt returner.
''In my opinion, and probably the opinion of most coaches in the MAC if you asked them, he is the best pure football
player in this conference,'' Kent State coach Doug Martin said. ''I know there are better pure quarterbacks then Julian, but if you just talk about a football player and watch what he does every game: throws, runs, blocks, tackles . . . I don't know that there is a player in the league that is more valuable to his team then Julian Edelman is to ours. He is just a difference maker.''
Temple coach Al Golden agrees.
''There is a lot of credence to that,'' Golden said in his weekly news conference. ''He is an excellent football player who is a winner.''
Martin knows a thing or two about athletic quarterbacks. Outside of coaching Cribbs and Edelman at KSU, he helped to develop Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback David Garrard, a dual-threat player who played under Martin at East Carolina.
The similarities to Cribbs, though, provide Edelman's best career projection in the NFL.
''He'll be an outstanding special teams player (in the NFL) whether returning or covering kicks, just like Josh,'' Martin said. ''Those two guys are really very similar. They both have a great will to win. They both have a great intensity about them and athletically, they are pretty similar.''
Because of his elusiveness and speed, Martin said Edelman is a player who needs the ball in his hands. He could also see him as a wide receiver, like Cribbs, at the next level. Edelman has one reception this season for 11 yards.
In the Golden Flashes' loss at Bowling Green on Nov. 1, Edelman was sent out to field his first career punt, but could do nothing with the ball as it was kicked into the end zone.
''It was an all-out blitz so I knew I was pretty much not going to get to it unless something wrong happened,'' Edelman said. ''Obviously, I was really excited.''
Yet for him, it isn't anything more than trying to win a football game. With three more games guaranteed in his college career, all Edelman wants to do is leave KSU on a winning note.
''That will all come at the end of the season,'' Edelman said. ''I am still worried about winning these games, and if coach asks me to go out there and be punt returner these last three games then, if that helps the team, I'll go and do that.''
Martin has been giving his best pitch for Edelman's future.
''I don't fault anybody for not coming to see a team that's not winning, but if you want to see good football players, you won't see a much better football player than Julian Edelman anywhere around here, at any level,'' Martin said.
Jonas Fortune can be reached at jfortune@thebeaconjournal.com.
KENT: Browns special teams ace Josh Cribbs ripped through the Baltimore Ravens on a 92-yard kickoff return last Sunday for a touchdown and 278 punt- and kick-return yards.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Posted 11:06 AM, 11/10/2008
Cribbs is a great player, hope we keep him around for a while...... BYE BYE Romeo and Edwards!
Posted 11:22 AM, 11/10/2008
As much as it pains me to admit, they both were severe thorns in the side of my beloved Zips throughout their respective college careers. BUT, they also have another thing in common. In spite of their acknowledged abilities, both were only able to defeat UA ONCE :)
