Rich Mancuso
Chase Edmonds running his way into Fordham record books
By Rich Mancuso
An hour or so after his teammates helped finish off Bucknell University, 24-16, up at Rose Hill, Chase Edmonds walked out of the Campus Center early Saturday evening with an ice pack over his left arm. The sophomore running back for the Fordham Rams went unnoticed and it was his touchdown with 22 seconds to play that secured another win in the Patriot League.
Photo Credit: Gary Quintal
It was a win that Fordham needed and a remaining game at Georgetown next Saturday will have implications as to taking the Patriot League title. A loss and going into a final season bye week would mean waiting for the outcome of the final two games on the Colgate schedule.
Edmonds slowly walked as he headed to his dorm for a night of rest and some deserved fun with some of his teammates. He is banged up a bit with a sprained ankle sustained three games ago against Lehigh and a nagging sprain to one of his knees.
But the injuries to Edmonds have not stopped him from doing what he does best. The pre-season All-American and 2014 Patriot League Rookie of the Year, ranked second in the NCAA FCS in rushing touchdowns, recently set the Fordham single season rushing record with 1,838 yards and touchdown mark with 23.
Photo Credit: Gary Quintal
To say that Edmonds, a communications major, is one of the best to play the position in a Fordham uniform is an understatement. With possibly two or more games left this season for the Rams and two more years of eligibility, Edmonds is destined to be remembered as one of the all-time greats.
And with a significant history attached to Fordham University football, the “Seven Blocks of Granite” and the Vince Lombardi era, putting Chase Edmonds within that illustrious group says a lot as to various reasons why this Fordham football program has seen success since his arrival on campus.
“Arguably the best ballplayer in the country at this level,” says his coach Joe Moorhead, a former three year starter at quarterback and one-time captain of the Rams. “Since the time he stepped on campus no one has a higher standard for his performance than Chase.”
Moorhead and his coaching staff made the decision to deliver Edmonds, and when Division I schools reneged on giving the Central Dauphin East High School Harrisburg, Pennsylvania rusher an opportunity, a gift was delivered to the Fordham football program. They said, the others schools, that Edmonds was too small to lead an offense and now they may be regretting passing up on the 5-9/ 185 running back who takes the game to his highest level.
And it is not about being noticed. Edmonds is the main target of the opposing defense and it has been difficult to stop him. After setting the rushing record a few weeks ago in the Fordham win over Lehigh with 347 yards, he has not been stopped though the injuries have been a major culprit as to why he may slowed down a bit.
Said Edmonds about his coach and the opportunity to play at Fordham, “Coach Moorhead was a gift to me…..remember the day not getting the offers. They called me and saw something in me. I’m so loyal to coach Moorhead and I will do anything to get a win for him.”
Photo Credit: Gary Quintal
“I want to prove I am the best player in the country on this level, good games and bad games,” said Edmonds after his latest touchdown Saturday in Fordham’s 24-16 win that put them at 8-2 overall and 4-1 in the conference. “I put my body and soul in football and want to prove that I can play this game at the highest level something since I been playing since I was five-years old.”
At one point in the first half, and with Fordham struggling against a Bison team that has the top defense in the league. Edmonds sat out a few series of plays and It was not because of ineffectiveness or the talk about another injury. Moorhead wanted to give his running back some rest and strategy for adjustments to battle that tough Bucknell defensive line.
“He would carry the ball 50 times a game if we allowed him,” commented Moorhead. “He said, ‘give me the ball.’” And when the ball went back in the hands of Edmonds, the game changed. There was also something about playing in an important final home game of the season, in particular helping get the win for seniors playing their final home game up at Rose Hill, many who built a foundation for this revival of Fordham University football and the quest for a national championship.
“The foundation they put in,” Edmonds said about the seniors, “they worked so hard to put Fordham at this point and national recognition. We got a great quarterback in Kevin Anderson…one thing is we are so young we are only going to get a lot better.”
But this Fordham team gives Edmonds the football. Right now, he is the leader of this offense that has scored 30 or more points in eight of their 10-games this season. And there is room for improvement, from his perspective which shows there is no superstar status labeled on Edmonds.
This past week, Edmonds was mentioned in the latest issue of Sports Illustrated for establishing the rushing record and there was a laugh in the post game press session about the Sports Illustrated mention as being a “Jinx,” because he only scored that one touchdown that was the decisive score.
Photo Credit: Gary Quintal
No, there is no superstar status. He just goes about doing what he does best every game
He says, “All I care about is the win for my teammates. I think I can be a little more patient and work more on eating the play. I harp on myself to do more. Going down Keating (a part of the field at Rose Hill) was a six yard loss. It should have been a two yard loss.”
The bye week after the Georgetown game comes at the right time. Fordham will have to sit and wait in the event they go in the playoffs as an at large bid. Of course they await the results from Colgate, and the week off will get the Rams back to full strength and some needed rest for Edmonds.
However, for Edmonds and Fordham it comes down to one important aspect, a championship. “Lead my team to a national championship,” Edmonds says. “Feel the best players win rings. I want a fat ring.”
Fordham may get that championship soon, as Edmonds continues to get the ball.
Comment Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com Twitter@Ring786 Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso
Photos by Gary Quintal
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