UH freshman wide receiver Patrick Edwards suffered a season-ending injury in the game against Marshall on Oct. 28; but for Edwards, the play on the field wasn’t the worst part of the ordeal.
"I feel like I’ve been in jail, being away from everybody," Edwards said at the first UH press conference he attended since the injury.
Edwards broke his leg when he ran into metal carts used by the Thundering Herd band while trying to catch a pass in the end zone. He underwent an operation to place metal rods in his right leg in Huntington, W.V. before returning to Houston on Oct. 31.
Edwards said when he saw the replay of his injury on television after surgery, it didn’t seem as crushing as it did on the field.
"When I saw the play in slow motion, I thought it could’ve been worse (and) I might not have been able to walk again," he said. "In the hospital, as soon as I turned on the TV (the play) popped up. I watched it on YouTube … It didn’t look that bad to me."
Edwards’ family and friends were on hand to greet him when he returned to Houston, but he also received encouragement from a former Cougar.
"I talked to Donnie (Avery) in the hospital," Edwards said. "He just told me to keep my head up."
Edwards currently uses crutches to walk, but team medical personnel are hopeful he will be able to function without them soon.
"I saw (team medical physician) Dr. (Walter) Lowe this past Saturday, and he told me it will take four months to heal, and in two months I should be able to walk on it and off these crutches."
Edwards said he would return to spring practice with the team, but would not engage in full-contact drills until next year, when he anticipates being back to normal.
"I’ll have to take it one step at a time," he said.
