Big Ten Teleconference Comments from Wide Receiver Braylon Edwards
11/2/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
U-M Senior Wide Receiver Braylon Edwards
Comments from Big Ten Coaches Teleconference
On the Michigan State game ... "It is just one of those things where the team believed in me as well as the players and coaches, and we just made it happen. We never quit, and our players played a phenomenal game. And as a result, we were able to come back."
On wide receiver Jason Avant ... "Jason is just one of those guys who is a phenomenal player. We worked hard in the off-season to make sure we are going to be ready for this year. Jason has worked hard. It's been a little rough in the early going, because we had a young quarterback, so we had to thin the playbook a little bit. As a freshman quarterback he was not going to be able to make the best reads possible. But as he's gotten older and as he's grown, he's been able to get more people involved. Definitely, Jason has been one of those big people, that he's been able to get involved. He's come up with some huge catches as you saw on Saturday. He's a key essential to this team right now."
On what is allowing Avant and quarterback Chad Henne to connect more ... "It's definitely (Henne) getting older, because Jason has been doing the same things that he has been doing since the beginning of the season. He's run great routes, he's been getting open, and he's just waiting. Now that Chad is developing and getting better in the offense, and knowing it more like the back of his hand, he's able to make the second and third reads or make better first reads. In doing that he's been able to get Jason the ball. Jason is catching it and advancing it, and giving us a chance to win ballgames."
On whether he wants a Big Ten title game ... "It is not necessarily the season going a week longer. That doesn't bother me as much as let's say what if a team plays hard all season, they go undefeated, they beat a team, but then they end up having to play that team again. Or if there are two different divisions, they work hard, they bust their butts, they go undefeated, but then in the championship game they get beat. So it's kind of like it's all for naught. I wouldn't want it to be that way. I wouldn't want to have a great season and one day slip on my game or a team slips on their game and they are not ready to play and they lose. I wouldn't like that. I like the way it is now, whoever has the best record at the end of the season that is how the championship is decided."
On Wisconsin ... "If the Badgers continue and finish the season unblemished, then my hat's off to them. That would be a great season for them, and whatever happens I hope they play in a good BCS game, and I hope they represent the Big Ten well."
Does it bother him not being a Heisman Trophy frontrunner ... "No, it doesn't bother me. It might seem like it would, but we just know we fit into a system. When you come to college it is just team, team, team, and that is all it is about. When you play on a team that does well you're going to get all the individual recognition that you could hope for. So you just play within the team and you guys win that is all it is about. Running backs and quarterbacks traditionally are the guys that are looked at. The running backs are always getting the ball, and quarterbacks always have the ball in their hands every play. That is why they get the most accolades, but it doesn't bother us."
On growing up a receiver ... "My father was always throwing bullets towards me. He played in the NFL and he played college ball, so he was always throwing balls to me as hard as he could. You don't want to get hit, so eventually you learn how to catch them. As I got older he started throwing balls away from my body, and started throwing them in ridiculous places, and expected me to make the catch. When I would make a nice catch, for him it would go unnoticed. So it forced me to make it second nature, and to act like it was nothing."
On was this the best game he's ever played ... "Definitely. I've had some pretty decent games in which I felt I've played well, but this one, the game was on the line, we were down by 17 with seven minutes left. We didn't have anything left to do but throw the ball up to Jason, Steve (Breaston) and myself. I was put in a good situation by my coaches and players. We played well as a team. As a result I was making the plays I was supposed to make. We got the win in the end, it was a great win. It's definitely the best game of my career I think."
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