CHENEY – Hidden amid the golden fields of grain that surround the quiet college town of Cheney lies one of the best-kept secrets in college football.
At Eastern Washington University, footballs fly through the air with alarming frequency. Coach Beau Baldwin, a 1990 Curtis High graduate who was a star quarterback for the Vikings, oversees one of the most dynamic passing offenses at any level of college football.
The Eagles, overshadowed by big brothers Washington and Washington State, led the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly NCAA Division I-AA) with 368.4 passing yards per game last season.
Nicholas Edwards and Greg Herd, former Tacoma-area prep standouts like Baldwin, were the primary targets for most of those passes. Edwards led the Eagles with career highs of 95 catches, 1,250 yards and 19 touchdowns (first in the FCS). Herd was second on the team with career bests of 67 catches, 1,022 yards and seven touchdowns.
The Eagles, who play Saturday at Washington State (noon, Pac-12 Networks), are one of the few teams in college football history with three active wide receivers whose résumés include a 1,000-yard season and some sort of All-America honor.
Edwards, a Foss High graduate, was a consensus first-team FCS All-American last season. Herd, a Steilacoom High product, earned honorable mention honors after blossoming when Brandon Kaufman (an honorable mention pick in 2010) was sidelined with a broken hand after four games.
Kaufman was one of a large flock of Eagles who succumbed to injuries last season. One year after winning the FCS national championship, the Eagles lost their first four games (including a narrow defeat at Washington in their season opener) and missed the FCS playoffs with a 6-5 record.
“It was kind of like we were living out a nightmare,” Herd said. “Everything we didn’t want to happen was happening.”
“It was tough,” Edwards said. “We had some long nights as far as the first half of the season. It was brutal.”
Edwards, a wide receiver since he and Herd were in grade school playing football for the first time on the Al Davies Express, emerged as one of the top FCS players with an outstanding postseason run during the national championship season. Edwards was even more stellar in 2011, despite the team’s struggles.
“Last year,” Herd said, “after the first four games, teams were like, ‘Hey, we’ve got to lock this guy down.’ And he was still finding ways to get open and score.
“It was like someone was putting him in handcuffs, and he’s just getting out of it. Kinda Houdini on the field in a way.”
Herd’s rise to stardom was slower than that of Edwards, even though Herd was more highly recruited. Edwards, unlike Herd, went to Eastern as a walk-on and redshirted as a freshman. Herd was a quarterback in high school, and had never played wide receiver until college.
“It was very difficult at first,” Herd said. “Very difficult and very frustrating. I had long weeks of practice. Long weeks. Long games.”
Herd credits Edwards, Kaufman and receivers coach Junior Adams for helping him make it through the tough times. Like Edwards, Herd said he also has benefited on and off the field from strong support from his parents and siblings.
Edwards and Herd, seniors who stand 6-foot-3 and weigh 200 pounds, have the type of size and speed (approximately 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash) that attracts NFL scouts to the bright red artificial turf at Roos Field.
“Nick is kind of like a quarterback playing receiver,” Herd said. “He knows a lot. A very intelligent football player.”
“I’m just a guy who wants to master his craft,” said Edwards, who married his high school sweetheart (Macca) last year.
“I’m kind of like a perfectionist. I’m not OK with being mediocre. I want to be better. I want to learn more.”
Edwards and Herd said they’re excited about the opportunity for more fans to learn about Eastern Washington football during Saturday’s nationally televised game at Washington State. Both players turned down walk-on invitations from the Cougars out of high school.
“We want to show people the show that Eastern Washington puts on each and every week that’s mainly seen in Cheney,” Herd said with a smile. “We want to let people know what’s happening in this little town on that big red pillow.”
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.