There’s a problem with playing at a small school; often many scouts simply assume you can’t play, at least not at a high level. Coming into Shrine Bowl week, that was the case with
Delarius “Moon” Edwards of Chesterfield High, a 1A school in
South Carolina.
Then the Sandlappers O-line spent all week trying to block him. And
North Carolina had trouble as well, despite the fact that Edwards was playing DT at 6-foot-1 and 242 pounds.
“He was the biggest surprise on our team,” said a
South Carolina coach after the game. “
North Carolina was having to block him with two people.”
The Shrine Bowl folks asked each kid who was recruiting him before the week began, and Moon listed
South Carolina, Appalachian,
Wake Forest and Coastal Carolina, a group not often found in the same breath.
After watching him, though, maybe some of the big boys should start paying attention. Otherwise, App or Coastal will wind up with a steal.
--Stan Olson
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5 comments:
As ASU progresses there will be more players we will take from FBS schools. Our verbal list for 2010 already includes kids who were recruited by schools like UCLA, Notre Dame, both "Carolinas" and Purdue. Although we are still, for now, in the FCS, we are a big time program. With our new facilities and game day experience we shall only get better and get better players.....Look out world you have only seen the beginning of App State.
Armanti Edwards created the footprint at Appalachian State University, and players will continue to go to Appalachian and contribute right away. Armanti noticed his chance at the beginning and players have witnessed what he was able to do at ASU. They want that.
I can hear "Mooooooooooon" reverberating at "The Rock" as 30,000 cheer a sack! Go App State!
As a Marshall grad, I would urge caution to the administration and fans of App State. It is much more fun to be a big fish in a small pond than to be a small fish in a big pond. Marshall used to be a national story, each year in the headlines as a possible FBS (NCAA Div II) champion contender. It seemed to many that moving up was the logical progression. But the truth is, there are only so may programs that can be in the top 25. And, to be truthful, both Marshall ad App State do not have the money or other resources to contend. Given the incredible success that App State has enjoyed the last few years, this assessment may seem insulting to App State people, but believe me when I say it is only offered with deep respect.
ASU did a feasability study seven or so years ago and decided Div I wasn't in there best interest at the time. Even with the rabid fanbase that rivals ECU's...it came down to television market (or lack thereof) being the deciding factor. Changing conference affiliation (gotta be in a conference) and the dollars needed to make that jump. Also, the travel involved....if they joined, lets say, the Sunbelt Conference...they'd be travelling to Arkansas State, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Western Kentucky..... The Independent rout would be even tougher.....remember how tough it used to be for ECU to get a decent schedule that didn't require lots of travel and 4 or 5 game home schedules? I wish they could make the move but the deck is stacked against it. They have some of the best linemen and running backs in the country bu 270 lb. linemen and 190 pound running backs don't last long under the relentless pounding of Division I talent..... just the rantings of another old App alum (ASU '77)
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