Moves from Georgia to Texas to Illinois forced Reese Edwards to adjust to new environments at an early age.
Acquiring that valuable life skill, it turns out, was also a precursor to assisting him in his football endeavors.
“I’ve always been good at adapting to my surroundings,” Edwards said. “It helped me get comfortable when I moved to Illinois, and it helped with my toughness on the football field.”
Toughness is just one of the many desirable skills that Edwards, the 2021 News-Sun Football Player of the Year, displayed in his two seasons as Warren’s bell cow at running back.
“I’m not someone who gets caught up in individual stats,” Edwards said. “I just care whether we’re winning and I’m playing well.”
Both of those boxes were checked in convincing fashion after the 6-foot, 200-pound Edwards transferred from Grayslake Central following his sophomore year.
He quickly made a name for himself during the Blue Devils’ 6-0 run in the spring, and his production soared to new heights during his senior season this fall, when he rushed for 1,629 yards and 22 touchdowns on 177 carries.
Edwards was the North Suburban Conference MVP, and his 1-yard touchdown plunge with 36 seconds remaining in the regular-season finale against Lake Forest clinched Warren’s fourth straight conference title.
That TD run might have been Edwards’ most impactful carry of the season, but it wasn’t his favorite. That distinction goes to a long TD run against Mundelein on Oct. 8 that featured many of the tools Edwards has at his disposal.
“I went toward the A gap, and it was clogged, so I jumped two gaps over,” Edwards said. “I bounced off a couple guys there and had to balance myself with my hand on the ground. Then I finally had some daylight, but it felt like I had hit, like, 20 people.”
Warren coach Bryan McNulty watched Edwards’ game-by-game improvement during the spring season, which led to a renewed confidence.
“He’s a quiet, soft-spoken kid who doesn’t have a huge ego at all,” McNulty said. “And the scary part is that he hasn’t even scratched the surface of how good he can become.”
That next chapter will play out at Vanderbilt, where Edwards will head next month as an early enrollee. The SEC university has exactly what Edwards wants: elite academic standards and top-notch competition.
Vanderbilt is happy to have Edwards’ commitment.
“He was a no-brainer for us,” Vanderbilt running backs coach Norval McKenzie said. “He’s big, strong, fast — all of those things. But he’s got unbelievable balance and a second gear that can help create explosive runs. He’s going to be hard to handle.”
To get to that point, Edwards devotes ample time determining ways to improve. Even when he is at his best, his film study has been revealing.
“I don’t want to have any wasted carries,” Edwards said. “There are also times when I don’t stay in my gaps and trust my blocks.”
Edwards has often gotten away with those minor transgressions, but that won’t happen at the next level. That’s part of the reason he’s so eager to get to Nashville, Tennessee.
“I’m excited to get into the weight room, and I’ll get to know the playbook before most other freshmen in the country,” he said.
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.