“He’s very humble—he’s a quiet, humble kid—but the bottom line is that he is probably our most improved receiver,” Murphy said. “He’s improved dramatically. We don’t have any question that he’ll do a good job catching the ball.”
—TIMOTHY J. McGINN
BRIAN EDWARDS
Last April, when spring practices rolled around, a casual observer might have noticed surprisingly few familiar faces in the Crimson wide receiver corps. Gone was James Harvey, shifted over to defense to shore up a weakened Harvard secondary. Gone was Rodney Byrnes, ineligible to play to due academic reasons.
And 2003 breakout star Brian Edwards was far away in his hometown of Los Gatos, Calif., spending his junior spring semester doing absolutely nothing.
Well, that’s not entirely accurate. Edwards spent his time off going to the gym on a daily basis, training so as to be able to jump right back in with the team upon his return. Still, while quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has one of the best arms in the league, even he can’t toss a football to a receiver 3000 miles away.
Fortunately, Edwards spent the summer well within his quarterback’s range.
“Basically every Monday through Friday we were here, throwing and working out,” Edwards said.
It’s a relationship that will be the centerpiece of Harvard’s airborne attack this season. It was just a year ago when the pair ripped through the Holy Cross defense in the 2003 opener, setting off a streak of victories that cumulated with Edwards leading Division I-AA in receiving yards midway through the season. Edwards’ ability is no longer a surprise, but opponents should be little better equipped to handle his speed and agility.
“[Edwards and Fitzpatrick] have got a little bit of a connection,” said Harvard coach Tim Murphy. “Fitzy always seems to know where he is on the field.”
With Byrnes and Harvey no longer in the mix, Edwards found himself in a position of unexpected seniority.
“I feel like I need to be more serious, to set a good example for the younger guys,” Edwards said. “I still joke around a lot, but I’m trying to be more serious.”
Luckily, his fellow receivers aren’t completely unfamiliar with the ins and outs of the Harvard offense. Sophomore Corey Mazza got his far share of onfield time as a freshman when injuries to the presumed starters suddenly thrust him into the spotlight. Now in his second season, he is fueled by a level of confidence gained from his sojourn at No. 1 receiver during spring practices.
“Having spring ball with Brian gone gave me the opportunity to step into leader role,” Mazza said. “It made me ready to carry the load in the receiving corps.”
Mazza will be able to provide another talented target for Fitzpatrick, should opponents start to hone in on Edwards.
“It’s kind of choose your poison, because Corey’s a guy that can play either wide receiver position...and if you give him one-on-one coverage, we’re gonna exploit it,” Murphy said.
As talented as this wide receiving corps is, the road to Ivy glory will only be won if Harvard can avoid injuries. Freshman Joe Murt and juniors Corey Waller and Peter Scully will share time as the fourth receiver behind junior Ryan Tyler, but a sustained injury to one of the top three would be a blow to the Crimson offence. Mazza and Edwards have already taken small hits in the preseason; Mazza has been hampered by broken bones in his thumb and sprained ligaments since the first day of preseason practice, and Edwards sat out practice early this week with a bruised shoulder joint.
“We have all the talent in the world, and as long as we stay healthy we’ll be one of the best, if not the best team in the league,” Edwards said.
—LISA J. KENNELLY