The Beard

Penning-10 · Aug 8, 2010

Growth of Jets' Edwards Can Be Seen on His Face http://ffd.me/9QcEQF #jets

Long but great article....Braylon is ready for a huge year.

Jets’ Edwards Shows Smile and Growth on His Face
Ben Solomon for The New York Times

CORTLAND, N.Y. — Braylon Edwards has turned his beard into a person. Over the past week alone, The Beard traveled here to Jets training camp, conducted interviews and considered making T-shirts.

Braylon Edwards was selected No. 3 over all by Cleveland in 2005, but he says he feels more comfortable with Rex Ryan and the Jets. “This is all I ever needed,” he said.
Edwards started growing his new friend months ago, and it now juts some six glorious inches from his chin. The Beard represents Edwards’s most obvious growth since the Jets traded for him last season. It also underscores his continuing revival, away, Edwards hopes, from the perceptions that have plagued him, toward potential again fulfilled.

“He has a sense of renewal,” his mother, Malesa Plater, said. “He came from a team that was always looking for a savior to a team that knows how to win. No one would understand what he’s been through unless you’ve been drowning.”

Inside a Manhattan lounge last month, Edwards, 27, sipped white wine and explained how the Jets, the N.F.L.’s boldest team, in its biggest market, returned serenity to his life. He gushed about his year-old son, Braylon Jr., about the improved relationship with his offensive coordinator, about his mother’s recent wedding vow renewal, attended by Edwards and The Beard.

Plater remains her son’s closest confidant, his best friend, their bond such that they can communicate without words. She saw in her son this off-season something that had vanished — a level of happiness last evident in his senior year at Michigan.

“This is all I ever needed,” Edwards said. “And all I never had.”

Never had, he means, in Cleveland, with the organization that selected him with the third overall pick in 2005. Edwards glanced at the roster immediately after the Browns drafted him. He did not recognize many names.

Edwards arrived at his first news conference clad in a tailored Italian suit, head high, driving a Bentley coupe. Instantly, he said, this left the wrong impression.

Here was a Michigan man about to play professionally in Ohio, a young, rich, outspoken athlete driving a car that cost as much as a house. Blue-collar Cleveland, Plater said, never forgot that, despite the $1 million worth of scholarships she said her son endowed. She described him as “the most hated man” there.

Edwards added: “There’s nothing going on in Cleveland. There’s no real estate. There’s no social life, no social networking. All the people who have something going on leave Cleveland. So Cleveland has nothing, and I came in there with a New York-type of essence. So what? That was the attitude I came in with. Like, this is who I am. They didn’t like the flash.”

Edwards made the Pro Bowl in his third season, with 16 touchdowns and 1,289 receiving yards. But he was criticized in 2006 for arriving late to a team meeting after chartering a helicopter to attend a college football game, and in 2008, after catching passes from four quarterbacks during the season, he told his mother he might retire when his contract expired. That would have been after this season.

Each year, it seemed, brought new coaches, or new coordinators, but expectations never changed. He felt burdened by the constant shuffling, the upheaval, the idea that he could, that he should, fix all of it. Edwards felt, “I’d be stuck in a less than mediocre team, organization, system, forever.”

The low point came in a 23-20 overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals last Oct. 4, when Edwards went without a catch for the first time in his career. On the ride home, Plater had never seen him so depressed. He looked tired, beaten, miserable. Everybody, even his neighbors, Edwards said, could see that.

“My career is over,” he told Plater. “I’m going to be stuck here for the rest of my career.”

Later that night, or early the next morning, Edwards got into an altercation at a nightclub. The man he is accused of punching, Edward Givens, was a friend of LeBron James, who claimed Edwards was jealous of his success.

That week, Cleveland traded Edwards to the Jets, the rare dealing of a young, freakishly athletic receiver fewer than two years removed from the Pro Bowl and still smack in the middle of his prime.

Edwards said he thought his story existed in the gulf between perception and reality. Perception, in his words: flashy, talkative, selfish, arrogant and, worst of all, prone to dropped passes, a statistic his mother said was “created because of him.” Reality, also in his words: pretty much the opposite.

This subject remains complicated, more gray than black and white. He said he expected the kind of scrutiny he has faced, but admitted that it bothered him. He said he wanted to change perception but worried that by addressing those notions, he gave merit to them.

He said that last year, he changed at least some perceptions. And he said that he would probably be seen as another petulant wide receiver until the Jets won the Super Bowl.

With the Jets, Edwards landed in an offensive system he already knew, in a city he already loved. The perfect timing, he said, the perfect fit.

But Cleveland left Edwards guarded. He admitted initial hesitation in developing a relationship with the offensive coordinator, Brian Schottenheimer. Too many previous coaches, he said, too many broken relationships.
Enlarge This Image

Michigan wide receiver Braylon Edwards was chosen by the Cleveland Browns as the third pick in the National Football League draft in 2005.

Schottenheimer allowed the relationship to grow slowly. At least until Edwards criticized the play-calling after the Jets lost to Indianapolis in the A.F.C. championship game (Edwards said he was misunderstood).

Regardless, Schottenheimer said “the comments, quite honestly, blindsided me.” Rather than fire back, Schottenheimer requested a meeting and told Edwards he wanted to improve their rapport. The two had lunch several times this spring, and recently, Schottenheimer said Edwards “came to me” and “said he never had this type of relationship with a coordinator before.”

This spring, Edwards learned both outside receiver positions. He drew Coach Rex Ryan’s attention when he repeatedly beat the All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis during minicamp practices.

The Jets traded for another No. 1-caliber receiver, Santonio Holmes, in the off-season. In his first meeting with Schottenheimer, Holmes said he thought Edwards had the talent to be the top receiver in the N.F.L. Henry Ellard, their position coach, said Edwards should reach the top five, at least, this season.

Tight end Dustin Keller said he thought that no receiver blocked better last season, nor did any teammate work harder this spring, than Edwards, who bench-pressed as much as offensive linemen. Still, questions linger. Can Edwards catch consistently? Will he be content with pedestrian statistics on a winning team?

Edwards insisted that he expected a “huge” season, but clarified that huge could mean 700 receiving yards, 5 touchdowns and that elusive Super Bowl ring. Ellard noticed an increased consistency from Edwards, built over this off-season.

“He reminds me of Torry Holt,” Ellard said. “Both have the gift of grab. Braylon has shown he can make the dramatic catch, the spectacular catch. This year, he will be more consistent. People forget how young he is.”

Plater said Edwards turned down photo shoots, magazine covers and marketing opportunities over the past year to focus on his football resurgence. She said they rarely, if ever, discussed Cleveland anymore.

Ryan found Edwards at once unselfish and self aware, even if he never read or heard that. In this case, no news was good news. Growth was evident, especially all over his face.

The Beard could not be reached for comment.
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MBGreen · Aug 8, 2010

fuck....i thought this thread was about Scik's broad.

624 · Aug 8, 2010

I'm glad I adopted you Braylon.

Steve032 · Aug 8, 2010

Good article. I think he's going to have a big season for us.

FlashGordon · Aug 8, 2010

He must have been reading this:
http://forums.theganggreen.com/showthread.php?t=53430&highlight=playoff+beard

Jollygreenjet · Aug 8, 2010

Nice read.

Miamipuck · Aug 8, 2010

MBGreen said: ↑

fuck....i thought this thread was about Scik's broad.
Click to expand...

That was I was thinking........ Turns out it was about some lady named Plater...... lol

Twombles · Aug 8, 2010

Good article. Braylon's got the potential for a huge year.

Jetaho · Aug 8, 2010

I liked the comment about having a huge year, even if it means 700 yds, 5 TDs and a ring.

ConcordeChops · Aug 9, 2010

Great article. I bet that article went down a storm in Cleveland.

Pluvrr · Aug 9, 2010

Awesome article, thank you!

TelackiTerp · Aug 9, 2010

sweet dude

Tony · Aug 9, 2010

These fluff pieces make from good reading, and are good to get you feeling positive about the upcoming season, but Edwards has the rep he has for a reason. If he wants to be top 5, then get out and be top 5. Then, and only then, will I buy into him.

NDmick · Aug 9, 2010

Edwards started growing his new friend months ago, and it now juts some six glorious inches from his chin.
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Does anyone else find this hilarious? I'm sleep deprived, so it could be funny for that reason... or is this sentence fucking hilarious?

:rofl:

NDmick · Aug 9, 2010

Good article.

A happy Braylon should mean a strong presence on the field.

i feel sorry for opposing DCs this year. There is too much to cover when Holmes is back. They're fucked.

Footballgod214 · Aug 9, 2010

He drew Coach Rex Ryan’s attention when he repeatedly beat the All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis during minicamp practices.

whose this darrelle revis? i thought he played for the lions.

pats-hater · Aug 9, 2010

White wine? Seriously? Come on Man!!!!

JetsUK · Aug 9, 2010

NDmick said: ↑

Does anyone else find this hilarious? I'm sleep deprived, so it could be funny for that reason... or is this sentence fucking hilarious?

:rofl:
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I don't think you can claim that six inches is glorious

NDmick · Aug 9, 2010

JetsUK said: ↑

I don't think you can claim that six inches is glorious
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No, its 6 inches.... from his face.

Its like the "my dick is 3 inches..... from the ground" joke.

But the wording is funny, a Glorious 6 inches. that's a good line to use in everyday conversation. It can mean anything. I haven't slept yet so everything is funny.

LeonNYJ · Aug 9, 2010

pats-hater said: ↑

White wine? Seriously? Come on Man!!!!
Click to expand...

Maybe he was having a sea food dinner.

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