As wide receiver Patrick Edwards streaked toward the back corner of the end zone Saturday, he had a feeling of d’eacute;j’agrave; vu.
Maybe it was his familiar position on the field, or the route he was running.
Either way, Edwards flashed back to Oct. 28, 2008, when he ran into a band cart just outside the end zone at Marshall’s Joan C. Edwards Stadium while’ attempting to pull in an overthrown pass.’ He suffered a compound fracture in his right shin and had his freshman season cut short.
But this time, quarterback Case Keenum lofted the ball to Edwards, who hauled it in for the game-winning touchdown in a 50-43 victory over Southern Miss. This time, his teammates surrounded him not to check on his health but to celebrate with the man of the moment.
‘I kind of had a flashback,’ Edwards said. ‘The ball was just hanging up in the air, and it reminded me of how I broke my leg. I caught it, and this time, I looked down and there was the pylon. So I just jumped over (it).’
This’ may have been one of the few times Edwards has thought of the incident since last fall.
‘It was out of my mind after the first game,’ Edwards said. ‘I was just trying to get back to where I used to be in the offense, start being a contributor and making plays and doing what coach tells me to do.’
That’s exactly what Edwards, a 5-foot-9-inch sophomore from Hearne, has done.
When his ’08 season was cut short, he was leading the team in receptions with 46 for 634 yards and four touchdowns through eight games. After Saturday’s seven catch, 61-yard performance, he has 51 catches for 564 yards and three touchdowns through eight games this season.
Although’ his performances haven’t changed much since the accident happened, his outlook on his injury has.
‘At the time, I was angry ‘hellip; Why did it have to be me to break my leg or run into a cart?’ Edwards said. ‘I started just being thankful and taking everything seriously and not taking anything for granted. Being positive, positive in everything I do, and just hope and think for the best.’
People who saw footage of the incident hoped for the best – a full recovery – although some doubted it. Not Edwards, who said he used people’s doubts to fuel him through rigorous rehabilitation sessions.
‘I was reading blogs saying I wasn’t going to be able to come back,’ Edwards said. ‘All that just motivated me.’
While the calendar shows a year has passed, Edwards said it doesn’t feel that way.
‘It seems like a couple of months ago; it went by so fast,’ Edwards said. ‘After I hit rehab, everything went by (quickly). It seems like it didn’t take me any time to get back on the field.’
Edwards also said that he doesn’t hold any animosity toward Marshall or its band.
‘Everything happens for a reason. Hopefully, it’s for the best,’ Edwards said. ‘I’m feeling good about my health right now.’
That doesn’t necessarily mean Edwards has ruled out legal action. He said the lack of an impending deadline has helped him remain focused.
‘I got a two-year cushion, and I’ll wait until after the season to go into it and take (legal action) into consideration,’ Edwards said. ‘I didn’t want to let it bother me during the season.’
As for what his teammates told him after hauling in the game-winner against the Golden Eagles, Edwards said it’s what Keenum told him that was probably the most appropriate.
‘He was like, ‘Good job, way to be on alert,” Edwards said.
It may also be an appropriate warning for Conference USA defenses – be on alert for No. 83.
