Edwards hopes to find the end zone at the Big House on Saturday.
For many years, the Edwards family expected Berkley to be playing in the Big House at the University of Michigan, following in the footsteps of brother Braylon and father Stan. However, playing in a Golden Gophers uniform was a slight change of plan. This Saturday one of the Gophers fastest players will return to their home state, and play at the stadium where his father and brother once took the field.
Berkley Edwards big brother, Braylon, and father, Stan, both played for the Michigan Wolverines and had strong, four year careers there. Edwards never got an offer from the Wolverines, and his small frame of 5’9 and only 190 pounds likely had a lot to do with his not receiving an offer.
Braylon even tweeted last year his anger that Edwards did not receive an offer from Michigan and called him “the hottest running back in the class of 2013.” This tweet displayed the shock of the family that Berkley was not next in line to be a part of Wolverine lore.
When it came time to make his decision, Edwards only had offers from two high-major schools, California and Minnesota. Edwards chose Minnesota, and sat out last year for his redshirt season.
Edwards had an electrifying debut against Eastern Illinois, where he had 60 yards and two touchdowns, one a 42 yard run, on just four carries. The initial success wasn’t too surprising for Edwards. “The first game is always a bunch of butterflies going on, but I knew I could do it at this level so it wasn’t too shocking.”
Lately he hasn’t been able to show much of his repertoire. With a recent shoulder injury, the coaches have been trying to keep him out of action hoping to avoid further injury and save him for Big Ten play. “We have to get people healed up. He’s one of them,” Coach Kill said.
Edwards has been limited to just 12 carries for 32 yards in his past three games. “I’m still getting a limited amount of carries but you always have to stay ready because you never know what’ll happen,” said Edwards.
Edwards did say that his shoulder is feeling a lot better and that on Wednesday he had “probably his best practice of the season.”
The pressure of this game isn’t weighing too heavily on Edwards, and he says that, while he hopes to prove himself, he knows that this is just another game. “I don’t want to say this is the only game I’ll be motivated, or I’ll have the most motivation for, because why would I be in college football just to play one game?” said Edwards.
With the Gophers currently reeling from injuries to Maxx Williams and Mitch Leidner, two players who are questionable at best for Saturday’s game, the Gophers need all the offensive firepower they can get. With the Wolverines likely making starting running back David Cobb a premiere target for their defense, Edwards could get a larger role in the Big Ten opener. Look for the Gophers to use him not only as a running back, but also in a few screen plays at wide receiver.