…Well, that’s if he keeps at the same pace he started his professional career.
Kent State’s three-year starting quarterback is proving he’s pro material so far in his first year as a New England Patriot. The California native kept his spot on the roster during the preseason with a 75-yard punt return for a touchdown in the Pat’s opener versus the Eagles. On top of that, he also had five receptions for 37 yards. Not too bad for the former Mid-American Conference player in his first professional game – that was shown on national television.
But, preseason is just that, the preseason. It doesn’t really have any sway on the regular season, when play really matters. Did this stop Edelman? No way. Just say “thank you, Wes Welker.”
With the Patriots big-time, big-name receiver sidelined with an injury in week 2, the spotlight was on Edelman.
But before we get there, let’s take a look at Edelman’s collegiate career. He was none too shy to take over a game and make big plays. In his senior year, Edelman led the team with 26 touchdowns (13 passing, 13 receiving) and was the leading passer and rusher on the team. He garnered two MAC offensive player of the week honors in his 2008 campaign. That same year he also broke the Kent State record with 3,190 total yards in the season.
New England liked these numbers… but not for a backup for Tom Brady. Edelman was drafted in the 7th round in 2009 by the Pats to be used as a wide receiver and punt returner. He proved his worth during the preseason returning punts and had his chance in week 2 of the regular season to show what he could do as a receiver.
They don’t call him a mini Wes Welker for nothing. Filling in for Welker, Edelman became a Brady-favorite, catching eight passes for a team-leading 98 yards. He also had two kickoff returns, averaging 19.5 yards. Coach Belicheck couldn’t be anything but happy with these numbers from his fill-in rookie.
Edelman showed a lot of promise in his pro debut. But how does he compare to the most recent Kent State pro-bowlers? Let’s take a look.
An easy, automatic comparison is the Cleveland Brown’s Josh Cribbs. Cribbs was a four-year starter at quarterback for the Golden Flashes and ended his career with his name on top in the KSU record books for career attempts, completions, passing yards, total yards and touchdowns. Not to mention, twice he had 1,000 passing AND rushing yards in a season.
Comparing Kent State careers, Cribbs gets the nod above Edelman. However, when Cribbs saw the field for the Browns in his first game (also drafted as a receiver/returner), he had just one reception for five yards and a fumble.
Kent Stater Antonio Gates never saw the gridiron as a Flash; he ruled the hardwood. In his first game playing tight end in the pros, he didn’t touch pigskin. It wasn’t until the 4th game of his rookie season that he had two receptions for 30 yards. He ended that season with 24 catches for 389 yards, averaging 16.2 yards a grab.
Although he is a defensive player, James Harrison still can’t boast the numbers Edelman had in his first game. Harrison played in just one preseason game in his first season with the Steelers. In his first regular season game with Pittsburgh, he had three tackles. Last year, he was the NFL’s defensive player of the year.
Clearly, Cribbs, Gates and Harrison don’t compare to Edelman when it comes to professional debut performances. But, the former three all have a few more seasons and a Pro Bowl appearance under their belt. Is Edelman the next former Kent State player to earn a trip to Hawaii?
If he keeps going like this, I sure think so.
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