By Heath A. Smith, DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER
One of the major questions for the Florida A&M Rattlers as they prepare for the 2007 season is who will carry the bulk of the rushing load.
Based on the 2006 numbers, the two leading candidates appear to be sophomore Demitric Henry and senior Anthony Edwards.
Both rushed for roughly the same amount of yards, but with completely different styles. Henry used speed and shiftiness to run just outside the grasp of defenders.
Defenders didn't have to worry about being able to catch Edwards last season. They had to worry about what they would do when they did.
"He makes defenders nervous when he's coming through there," said FAMU head coach Rubin Carter. "He's able to come in and give us that sustaining drive that we need in our offense.
"Certainly Anthony Edwards gives us a great deal of power with his ability to run between the tackles and break tackles. That's a tremendous asset for him."
Carter isn't just looking for power or speed from his featured back this season. He's looking for consistency and durability, something Edwards and Henry were unable to provide last season.
"We are looking for someone who is capable of carrying the ball 20-25 times a game consistently," Carter said. "They also need to have the durability to run the ball with efficiency."
Edwards came out of the gate strong as a junior, rushing for a combined 312 yards in three games against Delaware State, Howard and Tennessee State. Among those games was a career-high 124-yard performance against Howard on Sept. 16.
As the season wore on, however, Edward's production dropped and he eventually lost the starting job to Henry. Edwards still finished the season as the team leader in rushing yards (482) and rushing touchdowns (five).
Edwards' junior season didn't go unnoticed by the conference as he was named to the 2007 All-MEAC preseason second team.
"I bring a lot of intensity, aggression and want-to to the game," Edwards said. "I don't want to be stopped at all. I want that extra yard to get the first down."
Edwards said he used the offseason to work on making his body stronger to better absorb the pounding of an 11-game regular season.
"I worked on improving my upper-body strength this summer," Edwards said. "I have great lower-body strength, but I need to get my upper body a little stronger.
"It's the goal of everybody to become the main man in that position. I would like to get 20-25 carries a game."
Carter said Edwards will certainly be given the opportunity to earn those carries during preseason camp.
"Our tailbacks complement each other in their abilities and what they are able to do within the the scheme of our offense," Carter said. "(Who gets the starting job) will be based on who emerges from the pack."
One of the major questions for the Florida A&M Rattlers as they prepare for the 2007 season is who will carry the bulk of the rushing load.
Based on the 2006 numbers, the two leading candidates appear to be sophomore Demitric Henry and senior Anthony Edwards.
Both rushed for roughly the same amount of yards, but with completely different styles. Henry used speed and shiftiness to run just outside the grasp of defenders.
Defenders didn't have to worry about being able to catch Edwards last season. They had to worry about what they would do when they did.
"He makes defenders nervous when he's coming through there," said FAMU head coach Rubin Carter. "He's able to come in and give us that sustaining drive that we need in our offense.
"Certainly Anthony Edwards gives us a great deal of power with his ability to run between the tackles and break tackles. That's a tremendous asset for him."
Carter isn't just looking for power or speed from his featured back this season. He's looking for consistency and durability, something Edwards and Henry were unable to provide last season.
"We are looking for someone who is capable of carrying the ball 20-25 times a game consistently," Carter said. "They also need to have the durability to run the ball with efficiency."
Edwards came out of the gate strong as a junior, rushing for a combined 312 yards in three games against Delaware State, Howard and Tennessee State. Among those games was a career-high 124-yard performance against Howard on Sept. 16.
As the season wore on, however, Edward's production dropped and he eventually lost the starting job to Henry. Edwards still finished the season as the team leader in rushing yards (482) and rushing touchdowns (five).
Edwards' junior season didn't go unnoticed by the conference as he was named to the 2007 All-MEAC preseason second team.
"I bring a lot of intensity, aggression and want-to to the game," Edwards said. "I don't want to be stopped at all. I want that extra yard to get the first down."
Edwards said he used the offseason to work on making his body stronger to better absorb the pounding of an 11-game regular season.
"I worked on improving my upper-body strength this summer," Edwards said. "I have great lower-body strength, but I need to get my upper body a little stronger.
"It's the goal of everybody to become the main man in that position. I would like to get 20-25 carries a game."
Carter said Edwards will certainly be given the opportunity to earn those carries during preseason camp.
"Our tailbacks complement each other in their abilities and what they are able to do within the the scheme of our offense," Carter said. "(Who gets the starting job) will be based on who emerges from the pack."
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