SF Chronicle: Stanford prepared Buffalo's Edwards

[Romes]

Stanford prepared Buffalo's Edwards
Scott Ostler
Thursday, September 18, 2008

(09-17) 21:56 PDT -- The most logical explanation for the Buffalo Bills drafting Stanford quarterback Trent Edwards last year is that they felt sorry for him.

You know what big-hearted saps NFL people can be.

This Stanford kid Edwards had a rough college career. Let's give him a little money, show him some love, cheer him up. We don't want him leaving football with a bad taste in his mouth.

Or maybe the Bills were in the market for a cockroach - a player so tough he could survive a nuclear attack. After what Edwards endured at Stanford, NFL beatings would seem like shiatsu massages.

Not a bad idea, drafting a QB who has gone through basic training. Look what happens to the pretty boys who skate through college, pampered and protected. Matt Leinart, Vince Young, Alex Smith, et al. If you don't get your pants dirty in college, how does anyone know how tough you are?

The Bills drafted Edwards in the third round, after five other quarterbacks, including JaMarcus Russell. Right now, the Bills wouldn't trade Edwards straight up for all five of those guys.

Edwards, 24, is the league's Hot New Quarterback.

He's got the Bills 2-0 heading into Sunday's game against the Raiders. Edwards' early numbers are sick good, and his leadership skills and command are causing Buffalo folk to dust off memories of Jim Kelly.

Edwards says he owes it all to Stanford and four seasons of pain and turmoil.

"I feel like it (his time at Stanford) prepared me just to face a lot of pressure packages in the NFL," Edwards said Wednesday in a conference call with Bay Area reporters. "I'm now able to use that to my advantage and recognize when I need to get the ball out and know where my (secondary) receivers are."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/09/18/SPRF12VP2N.DTL

[The Spaz]

Excellent article. Keep it up Trent we are counting on you.:up::beers:

[Dujek]

Good find. Right now I wouldn't swap Edwards for anyone.

[justasportsfan]

we're paying our qb peanuts thanks to stanford. Hopefully the next offseason cry .... Extend Trent NOW!!!

[Agent007]

Mike Golic said something similar about Jay Cutler.


Trent Edwards and Jay Cutler are alike in the sense they didn't play for big schools and had less talent than a USC and Texas.

Lack of talent and adversity have apparently prepared these guys for these types of challenges in the nfl.

[Mitchy moo]

Intelligence helps.

[madness]

What Edwards dealt with at Stanford was a lot of opposing rushers, two head coaches (Buddy Teevens and Walt Harris), several offensive coordinators, and several injuries. Then he got a reputation for being injury-prone, which is like accusing the town drunk of being hangover-prone.

Thank you!

[Lexwhat]

"Through it all, Edwards was a brick. He earned a degree in political science but flunked Prima Donna 101."


"Edwards went 10-20 as a starter, spent time in the hospital, but didn't badmouth his coaches, teammates or the script-writer of his fate.

Call it character. Edwards had that going for him, plus the fact that he's 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, and a bright, outgoing fellow who always showed poise and command. He also had a letter of recommendation in Bill Walsh, then a Stanford adviser. So NFL teams were interested.


Raiders coach (as this is written) Lane Kiffin said Wednesday that the Raiders, had they (as in: Al Davis) elected not to draft Russell with the first pick in the first round, would have drafted Edwards with the first pick in the second round."