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With 24 days left until the Virginia Tech Hokies face the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, we turn our attention to #24 on roster Mr. Tariq Edwards. If you’ve followed along so far with all of the storylines floating around preseason camp then you’re aware of Edwards’s situation. Tariq is recovering from off-season leg surgery where he had an inanimate carbon rod (props to anybody who understands that reference) inserted in his lower leg. Yes, that does sound painful. Edwards admitted earlier in the week that he feels about 85-percent. With three more weeks to heal before game week, it looks likely that #24 will be in pads against Georgia Tech.
The Scoop
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 237 lbs
Position: Backer
Year: R-Junior
High School: Marlboro County High School
How Did He Get Here?
Edwards and his twin brother Tyrell, were both highly recruited guys out of South Carolina. Sadly, Tyrell never did enroll here at Tech and decided to pursue a different route with his life and for that we wish him the best. His brother, Tariq, held offers from Illinois, Maryland, UNC, NC State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, UVA, and of course, Virginia Tech. With his father, Bo Edwards, being a former letterman here in Blacksburg, Tariq decided to follow in his father's footsteps and commit to Virginia Tech.
2011 Season Rewind
Despite being just a redshirt-sophomore, Edwards finished the season third on the team in tackles with 71 and tackles for loss with 11.5. However, the South Carolina native suffered a stress fracture in his lower leg late in the season, which required surgery in March after the injury failed to heal properly on it’s own.
2012 Prediction
The injury situation is concerning as we open up fall camp. It seems that both Edwards and wide receiver DJ Coles are both healing slower than anticipated. The good news is that Defensive Coordinator Bud Foster has a contingency plan in place just in case Edwards can’t suit up against Georgia Tech. That plan consists of moving Bruce Taylor to Backer and inserting Jack Tyler at MIKE. That would, as Foster would say, get Tech’s best 11 players on the field.
But, there is still a good chance that Edwards will begin practicing full tilt within a week or two. That would be beneficial to our defense since Edwards played extremely well against Georgia Tech last season. His length and his presence at backer along with his experience would be helpful against that annoying triple-option offense. However, we’ll just have to take this one day at a time and see when Edwards can recover to his old self.
Completely Made Up Fact
Inspired by Danny Coale’s versatility last season, Edwards is auditioning to not only be the starting Backer this fall but also the starting Hokiebird on gamedays.
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
I love this kid as a LB. He is defintiely one of my favorite players on the team, he just seems to always make plays when needed, and I did not see too many mistakes from him last year. Glad he decided to stick with us, I think he is primed for another huge season.
College football news: The Honey Badger was kicked off the LSU team today by Les Miles!
Wow!!!!!!!!!!
Interesting that Greg Reid was kicked of FSU and the Honey Badger at LSU but at TCU Gary Patterson did nothing to Casey Pachall who admitted to taking LSD and smoking marijuana in the off season.. Not that he should have been dismissed totally (I would have) but to not sit him out at all is a bunch of BS. Patterson is a god coach but he is putting football and his coaching legacy a head of ethics and common since discipline. Please Gary – Where is the leadership at TCU?
LJ, we are doing the same as Gary Patterson in the case of the troubled kicker.
MK, to some extent you are correct. However Michael Branthover was suspended for the biggest game of 2011 and spent the entire off season repairing his reputation with the school and coaches. While one game is not much of a suspension it was a misdemeanor charge and not drug related, it also was a big game and the team most likely lost because he did not play. So all in all there was consequences paid as a result of the one game suspension. In the case of TCU there was no consequences ….period…not a game, not a quarter and we can argue about weather trespassing is more of a crime than taking mind altering drugs but the fact of the matter is TCU is now considered a good school to play for if you are a recreational drug user because there are no consequences or code of conduct!
I didnt realize Branthover was suspended also.
Lets be honest…Journell was with some dudes carrying an airsoft gun, pretending it was a real gun, so that is a pretty serious crime. He spent a week in jail dude…He deserved the suspension and is lucky to be back.
I am not too worried about TCU…generally, when coaches let this stuff go, it all comes crumbling down upon them down the line.
My mistake, confused Branthover with Journell