North Carolina State University Athletics
Edwards Opens Some Eyes
8/30/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 30, 2001
By Tony Haynes
Dovonte Edwards is not from Florida. Perhaps that explains why he wasn't as heralded as three other freshmen receivers who joined him at NC State this summer. When Chuck Amato and staff snatched Chris Murray, Fred Span and Sterling Hicks out from under the noses of Florida State, Miami, and Florida this past year, the recruiting gurus suggested the Wolfpack had pulled off an improbable hat trick.
And while the three rookies from the Sunshine State have had their moments during fall camp, it's Edwards, the elusive kid from Chapel Hill, who has raised the most eyebrows over the last few weeks.
"He understands what we're trying to get done and he can do a lot of things," said quarterback Philip Rivers. "He's probably the smallest of all of them, but he makes you miss and seems to avoid those big hits more than anybody. He's a tough kid and he's really been working hard. He's really gotten good out there as the camp has progressed."
Said Amato: "At this point, he's probably ahead of all the other young receivers. He's picked up what we're doing and he's performed. When you bring that many of them in here, you feel like if two of them can come through for you, you're in good shape. He and Sterling Hicks are a little bit ahead of the others right now, but two or three weeks down the road, it may just open up for Chris Murray. He's a big, talented receiver."
And though he may have been somewhat overshadowed by his new teammates from Florida, Edwards was by no means a slouch in high school. Ranked as the 30 best receiver in the nation by Max Emfinger, the speedy 6-0, 180 pound speedster made 50 catches for 948 yards and 14 receiving touchdowns in his senior year at Chapel Hill High. He was also named Offensive Player of the Year in North Carolina.
Edwards and the rest of the Pack's kiddy corps of receivers will likely play big roles this season, especially in the wake of All-America Koren Robinson's decision to make an early bolt to the NFL.
"They've had a lot thrown at them," Rivers said. "It's their first time leaving home and with the heat and the two-a-days and all, it's been different for them. We've been throwing a lot of stuff at them with different routes and a lot of plays and things like that. I think they've handled it well. They'll be able to help us this year whether it's early or later on in the year. It's going to take them a little while to get going. They've hung in there well for being here for the first time."
Amato says more work needs to be done:In what was described as a full dress rehearsal for next Thursday's opener against Indiana, NC State scrimmaged for more than two hours at Carter-Finley Stadium on Wednesday night. According to Amato, the workout left a lot to be desired.
"I was disappointed." Amato said. "We didn't tackle. At times we didn't block like we needed to and we didn't score as I would have liked to. I was a little disappointed and our players knew it too. We've got to correct some of that stuff because those are the most important things. If we can't block and tackle, it makes no difference who is calling the plays and it makes no difference on who is calling the defenses. We've just got to execute a lot better."
