ASU Football Coach on with Rome
Arizona State head coach Herm Edwards is entering his third season with the Sun Devils. He finished last year with eight wins and a Sun Bowl victory on New Years Eve against Florida State University. Edwards was on the Jim Rome Show this week and discussed the program and how he’s adapting to the changes the pandemic has caused.
Edwards told the Jim Rome Show, “We are good. We are trying to get comfortable with the normal. We are wearing masks and social distancing. The problem is the the sport that I coach and have been involved in my whole life, there is no such thing as social distancing. So we are trying to figure that out."
Those sentiments are echoed through the world right now, as “We are all trying to figure it out”. In this down time, while trying to figure out next moves like the rest of society, Edwards makes a great point on how to embrace this quiet and slower time.
“What I learned is that everyone goes on a journey. There are certain points of your life that you always remember that are significant and I think this will be a significant moment for everyone in their life for how they handle it…. I have had some catastrophic things happen that I have been a part of.. I can remember losing my dad after my first year in the league.. I can remember the 911 situation when I was the head coach of the Jets.. Now this situation. There is always a situation in your life that you can reflect on and say after that moment what happened. And that’s how I’m looking at this.. what is football going to look like?.. how do you coach football now with a sport that has so much energy with the players?.. how can you have that now in a coaching setting?”
He has always had a way with words. It’s one reason the media, coaches, players and anyone who comes in contact with him is drawn to him. No matter the situation he always his able to stay neutral, but with a sprinkle of optimism. His message to his players right now during the pandemic was no different.
“Basically, we are all on the same team now. You’ve got more than just your teammates here at ASU. You have the people in your community. I tell them this, this is about protect your family members.I told them that when they first left. This isn’t about you so much, this is about grandma, grandpa, about your mom and dad. All of those people who have raised you, who have influenced your life, now you have to help them by the decisions you make off the field of play.”
Being the example to his players is of key importance to Coach Edwards. How are you going to handle this? Who are you? What are you made of? He wants to know. He wants to know if you have the Sun Devil, Mandrake DNA. Edwards went on to tell Jim Rome what he looks for with the DNA that he wants for his program.
“Football is a funny game ... Sports is funny ... Are they interested or are they committed? Most people are interested.. They are interested in the fact I’m good, but when things get hard, I’m not sure I want to commit to this.. Interested is when it's convenient. When you commit to something, there is no excuse.. It's easy to play in the game. It's all the other stuff before you get to the game. Do you want to do that?.. The preparation part. I like guys that like preparing. That search for knowledge."
The head coach is looking for those that show up, commit day in and day out.
He also touched on recruiting saying that,
“We are getting close and we are very young. The staff has really done a great job of really defining our DNA and going and searching for players who meet that.. There are only seven seniors on this team. We have a young QB." In Edward’s mind and philosophy, you build around the quarterback. The system is built for the quarterback and so far, they have been able to be successful at that with all of their young gets.
And to close it out, Sun Devil fans, if you were worried the Herm Train was leaving Tempe, you have nothing to worry about; coach when asked if he would go back and coach in the NFL said this:
"I'm in a really good place. I am going to give them some candidates and it won’t be me. This is my last job. You’ll be talking to me for the next five years."
Exhale, Sun Devil Fans. Herm Train is parked and staying put.
