Norwalk's Edwards proves he's fit for Division-I

NORWALK -- Like many dual-sport athletes in high school, Norwalk's Derick Edwards had some difficult choices to make when the letters from colleges began piling up last spring.

A junior at the time, he had just begun to scratch the surface of his potential on the lacrosse field, after picking up the sport just three years earlier. He was more experienced, and in many ways just as accomplished, in playing football.

He needed to decide on what sport to play in college. Lacrosse or football? Football or lacrosse?

Before long, Edwards, who had already been in contact with several Ivy League schools about both sports, came to a decision. He determined that with his skill set, lacrosse offered a greater upside.

"I talked to a lot of people about that. I was getting recruited by some other Ivy (League schools) in football," Edwards told The Citizen recently. "But I feel like since I've just been playing lacrosse for four years, I have like so much more potential in lacrosse than I do in football."

With that decision made, Edwards later committed to Division-I University of Pennsylvania. He indicated that the Quakers--one of the many Ivy League programs on his radar--recruited him the strongest.

"They were the team that was most after me, I felt like, and pursued me a lot," said Edwards, who expects to sign soon. "They just kept calling me and called my guidance counselor, and stuff like that. I went on my visit and I had a really good time."

The recruiting trail from schools initially gained steam for Edwards in the summer of 2010 when he attended the Hotbed Summer Showcase in Delaware, as part of the CT Elite team. Around 90 college coaches were in attendance and watched the Norwalk product for the first time.

Before long, Edwards, a midfielder, was pursued by numerous Division-I programs for lacrosse, including Brown, Dartmouth, Drexel, Stony Brook and Yale. A few Ivy League programs--Columbia, Harvard and Princeton--also contacted him for football, as a cornerback and wide receiver.

In many of the conversations with coaches, the discussion circled back to Edwards' role at the Summer Showcase.

"In most of the emails that they sent me, that's where they said they saw me play," Edwards said.

He added, "It's definitely a good feeling. I definitely committed myself and tried to do the right things to get exposed and be noticed for colleges."

After that, with Penn sitting atop his list, he did more to elevate his stock as a Division-I talent. Edwards recorded 48 points as a junior and was named all-FCIAC honorable mention for his role in stabilizing the Bears' midfield.

And that's just a small glimpse into what Edwards has accomplished.

Norwalk head coach Chris McGee, who has been at the helm since 2006, indicated that he's seen a steady progression in Edwards' all-around abilities. The midfielder has coupled blazing speed (he's been clocked at 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash) with superior stickhandling abilities.

"He's actually worked really hard at improving his stick skills," McGee said. "It's one thing to be a good athlete but lacrosse also has that skill aspect to it where you have to be able to throw and catch, and cradle. He's just worked hard to make sure that he gets the basics down."

McGee explained that Edwards' potential as a difference maker was noticeable early on. A short time after freshman year, McGee brought Edwards to a lacrosse camp at Yale and the midfielder's abilities raised some eyebrows.

"Their head coach (Andy Shay) just took a look at him and goes, `How long has he been playing for?' I said, `about three months now.' " McGee recalled. "He just kind of shook his head. You could see that he was going to be pretty good."

That evaluation has proven to be spot on.

In three seasons at Norwalk, Edwards, who stands at 5-foot-10, 168-pounds, has predicated his game around his speed and dodging abilities. And now, as McGee indicated, Edwards is capable of attacking defenses on both stick sides.

"He's got a great first step," McGee said. "He's going both righty and lefty so he's going to be hard to defend. If I was a defender and wanted to force him right, he's getting more and more comfortable with his right hand."

Edwards will carry those same abilities to the next level but he's remindful of what he must do to improve.

"The guys in college are going to be really big. So I'm going to have to rely on my speed," he said. "It's going to be a big plus for me. I'm just going to keep trying to get faster and stronger so I can excel at the college level."

dbonjour@scni.com