Behr: If Edwards can't play he shouldn't
Armanti Edwards has given another meaning to the word "football" this fall.
We all know that Boone's most famous foot injury will likely keep Boone's most famous football player from playing for Appalachian State this Saturday at East Carolina. Edwards, the Mountaineers' talented quarterback, barely averted true disaster when his right foot was cut during an accident while mowing his lawn before fall workouts.
It's a blessing and a curse for Edwards - a blessing because he's very lucky he didn't lose any toes, or the foot itself - because of the accident.
Not that I have a medical degree, but plenty of things could have gone wrong for Edwards. The obvious is that he could have lost a toe, or even his entire foot because of the accident. Infection could have also settled in - lawn mover blades aren't exactly the cleanest items on earth - and he could have had to deal with consequences of that.
Instead, it looks like he just may miss one, or maybe two football games.
"He's like anybody else," Mountaineers head coach Jerry Moore said. "We won't put anybody in who is not ready to play."
Edwards worked out in pads for the first time Monday. Moore liked the way Edwards passed the ball, but he was also wearing a big red jersey that more or less says, "Touch me and kiss your scholarship goodbye."
If he plays Saturday, he'll have to leave the red jersey home.
Meanwhile, his understudy, DeAndre Pressley, threw well on Monday, though granted, it was against the scout team.
Still, Edwards doesn't need to rush back to play at East Carolina. Though it would warm the hearts of Mountaineers Nation to see him line up against a good Pirates defense, it would be foolish for him to rip open the wound and miss four or more weeks of the season.
This game means a lot to those who would like ASU to stick it to another FBS team, especially one that is located in North Carolina. A win would not have the same impact as beating Michigan, but it would mean plenty to those who put those block 'A' stickers on their cars.
But it is not important enough to lose an elite starting quarterback for any other games. Winning at ECU is also not as important, at least on the FCS playoff scale, as beating No. 15 McNeese State the following week at Kidd Brewer Stadium.
That game will be held to a higher standard by the playoff committee should an at-large playoff berth be necessary. A loss to East Carolina? Well, probably not so much.
What's getting lost is the great opportunity for Pressley to emerge from Edwards' shadow. Beating Western Carolina, as the Mountaineers did during Pressley's first start last year, was nice, but not a big shock, or shock of any kind for that matter.
Engineering a win over an FBS program looking to crack the top 25, in the Pirates' own backyard, or even a great showing in a losing effort, would signal that Pressley is capable of taking over the program once Edwards graduates.
Or maybe Travaris Cadet, the redshirt sophomore transfer who has pulled even with Pressley on the depth chart, will emerge. Pressley is likely to be the starter Saturday. Moore has not said if Cadet would play, but I'd like to see him in action with the outcome of the game still in doubt.
The Mountaineers will find out if they have enough to beat East Carolina on Saturday, whether Edwards is there or not. If he risks losing more games in the future by playing, he should wear the red jersey for another week.
We all know that Boone's most famous foot injury will likely keep Boone's most famous football player from playing for Appalachian State this Saturday at East Carolina. Edwards, the Mountaineers' talented quarterback, barely averted true disaster when his right foot was cut during an accident while mowing his lawn before fall workouts.
It's a blessing and a curse for Edwards - a blessing because he's very lucky he didn't lose any toes, or the foot itself - because of the accident.
Not that I have a medical degree, but plenty of things could have gone wrong for Edwards. The obvious is that he could have lost a toe, or even his entire foot because of the accident. Infection could have also settled in - lawn mover blades aren't exactly the cleanest items on earth - and he could have had to deal with consequences of that.
Instead, it looks like he just may miss one, or maybe two football games.
"He's like anybody else," Mountaineers head coach Jerry Moore said. "We won't put anybody in who is not ready to play."
Edwards worked out in pads for the first time Monday. Moore liked the way Edwards passed the ball, but he was also wearing a big red jersey that more or less says, "Touch me and kiss your scholarship goodbye."
If he plays Saturday, he'll have to leave the red jersey home.
Meanwhile, his understudy, DeAndre Pressley, threw well on Monday, though granted, it was against the scout team.
Still, Edwards doesn't need to rush back to play at East Carolina. Though it would warm the hearts of Mountaineers Nation to see him line up against a good Pirates defense, it would be foolish for him to rip open the wound and miss four or more weeks of the season.
This game means a lot to those who would like ASU to stick it to another FBS team, especially one that is located in North Carolina. A win would not have the same impact as beating Michigan, but it would mean plenty to those who put those block 'A' stickers on their cars.
But it is not important enough to lose an elite starting quarterback for any other games. Winning at ECU is also not as important, at least on the FCS playoff scale, as beating No. 15 McNeese State the following week at Kidd Brewer Stadium.
That game will be held to a higher standard by the playoff committee should an at-large playoff berth be necessary. A loss to East Carolina? Well, probably not so much.
What's getting lost is the great opportunity for Pressley to emerge from Edwards' shadow. Beating Western Carolina, as the Mountaineers did during Pressley's first start last year, was nice, but not a big shock, or shock of any kind for that matter.
Engineering a win over an FBS program looking to crack the top 25, in the Pirates' own backyard, or even a great showing in a losing effort, would signal that Pressley is capable of taking over the program once Edwards graduates.
Or maybe Travaris Cadet, the redshirt sophomore transfer who has pulled even with Pressley on the depth chart, will emerge. Pressley is likely to be the starter Saturday. Moore has not said if Cadet would play, but I'd like to see him in action with the outcome of the game still in doubt.
The Mountaineers will find out if they have enough to beat East Carolina on Saturday, whether Edwards is there or not. If he risks losing more games in the future by playing, he should wear the red jersey for another week.