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BOONE, N.C. (AP) -The scouts wanted to see Armanti Edwards do one more thing, so one of college football's most decorated quarterbacks dutifully jogged to midfield and began judging punts in the swirling mountain wind. The wiry and speedy QB who led Appalachian State to a stunning victory at Michigan thinks he can be a signal-caller in the pros, too. The college coach who won two FCS national championships with him is even more convinced. But mostly Edwards just wants to play in the NFL, be it as a quarterback, receiver or kick returner. So he did everything the personnel men from 10 NFL teams who attended his pro day Tuesday wanted, including running the 40-yard dash - which he did in about 4.43 seconds.
``It wasn't as difficult as I thought,'' Edwards said of fielding punts. ``The wind kept pushing the ball a little right. But as the ball kept coming off the JUGS machine I started adjusting to it.'' Jerry Moore isn't surprised how quickly he picked it up, calling Edwards one of the most serious players he's coached. But Edwards insisted teams would be foolish not to give him a shot under center. Edwards is the only player in NCAA Division I history to pass for more than 10,000 yards and rush for at least 4,000. ``He's that much shorter than Drew Brees,'' said Moore, while holding his thumb and index finger about an inch apart. ``Armanti is 5-11, Drew is 6-foot. The things that he brings to the table, jeez.'' Edwards, the only two-time winner of the Walter Payton Award as the top player in the Football Championship Subdivision, will be one of the more intriguing players to watch in next month's draft. He measured 5-11 and 182 pounds on Tuesday - five pounds less than at the scouting combine. But he showed his speed after not running at the combine because of a sore right hamstring. Scouts from Baltimore, Buffalo, Carolina, Cleveland, Detroit, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington attended his pro day. Edwards has numerous other private workouts planned, but with different itineraries. Edwards said Jacksonville wants him to return kicks, while Carolina, New England, Indianapolis and Miami want him to work out at quarterback and receiver. ``I think teams have to at least give him a shot at quarterback because guys like Seneca Wallace have been in the league for awhile,'' said Chad Reuter, a senior analyst for NFLDraftScout.com. ``If you're going to pick Patrick White in the second round, you have to think about Edwards somewhere on the third day (rounds 4-7) of the draft as a potential wildcat kid with a chance to become a receiver, with work, or a third quarterback or a practice squad quarterback.'' White's role with Miami as a rookie last season is an example of new positions being created for running quarterbacks coming out of spread offenses in college. And Edwards thrived in Appalachian State's wide-open style. As a freshman, he led the Mountaineers to the national championship. He started his sophomore season by directing one of the game's biggest upsets - Appalachian State's victory at Michigan. He capped the 2007 season with another national title. He overcame injuries his last two seasons to take the Mountaineers to the playoffs again, although they fell short of another national title. Edwards, who played some receiver in high school in Greenwood, S.C., said he worked on catching balls in free moments at practice over the past year while eyeing the NFL. ``I'm familiar with it. The unusual part was getting under center. I haven't done that since high school,'' said Edwards, who took shotgun snaps in college. ``So once I got comfortable with it, I got it down for the most part.'' While Edwards' durability and size remain the big issues, few question his left arm. ``There were guys here this morning that did not realize how strong his arm is,'' Moore said of Tuesday's workout, which was closed to reporters. ``They sat right here and watched him throw from this hash, throw comebacks over on the far sideline. That ball travels 45 yards.'' While Moore thinks Edwards could thrive at quarterback, others see him filling a wildcat role similar to White. Edwards brought up Cleveland kick returner and receiver Josh Cribbs, who was a quarterback in college. Pittsburgh receiver Antwaan Randle-El is a converted QB, too. ``He'd play tight end - or try,'' Moore said of Edwards. ``But I think he wants an opportunity to play quarterback. He's so, so competitive.'' | 
