In 2007, Cal had a triumvirate of wide receivers, Robert Jordan, Lavelle "The Hawk" Hawkins, and DeSean "Tha1" Jackson. Unfortunately, after that year, they were gone to the NFL. I don't think it would be controversial to say that Cal has not quite had that same level of play since. We've got some new WR recruits that, alongside our current WRs, hope to change that. Coleman Edmond is one such recruit! It's been a long time coming for him. Check out his story here:
This was some trip from Ulster County to northern California.
Edmond, who played quarterback and running back at Kingston in 2005, left the school to attend Harmony Community prep school in Cincinnati. He accepted a scholarship offer from Division I-AA Wagner and red-shirted in the fall of '07.
Edmond left Wagner after a year and came up with a plan to go West. Edmond, a wide receiver and kickoff returner, enrolled at UCLA in the fall of '08 and ran on the track team that spring to try to get the attention of UCLA's football staff. He was a standout sprinter on the track team at Kingston.
"I always wanted to go to a bigger school," said Edmond, who is 6-foot-2, 210 pounds. "I couldn't just sit back, I needed to follow my dream. I was just trying to get to the top, and you only live once."
While at UCLA, running the 100- and 200-meter dashes, Edmond walked into the Bruins' director of football operations office and told Steven Radicevic he wanted to walk on. According to Edmond, Radicevic laughed at him.
However, Edmond, 21, persuaded UCLA to allow him to participate during summer workouts last summer. According to Edmond, UCLA told him they didn't have any scholarship money for him. He had already taken $35,000 in loans to pay for one year of school in Westwood.
"I was devastated, I thought the summer workouts went well," Edmond said. "As well as I did, I thought they would have picked me up right away."
Edmond ended up at Pierce this past fall with the help of defensive coordinator Jeff Phillips, who coached at Wagner during Edmond's short time there. Edmond starred at Pierce, making 37 receptions, including nine for touchdowns, and amassing 1,584 all-purpose yards. He returned a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown.
In one game, a 62-55 overtime win over West Los Angeles Community College last fall, the opposition kicked the ball away from Edmond a dozen times.
Edmond ended up at UCLA, running track, hoping to get a spot on the football team. Even though I am still able to tag him in this post as a UCLA WR, it didn't work out there. Now he has a second chance, via Pierce Community College, to play Pac10 football. Here's hoping the UCLA fans say "Oh, what could have been" over the next few years!
Edmond is a man smart enough to make it into two separate elite UC schools. Despite that intelligence, he agreed to an interview with CGB. After the fold, learn more about one of the newest Golden Bears, Coleman Edmond. Many thanks to Coleman for his effort here, we really appreciate it. Good luck to him and GO BEARS!
My time at UCLA was great! I had a rough season running track due to the coast changes but as far as just being happy at a school, UCLA was a pretty special place! I was heart broken when I had to leave UCLA to go to junior college but I'm a fighter. I tightened my belt and got to work! The UCLA football program let me leave despite doing very well in summer workouts with the team and my endless efforts to do what ever it took to stay there, so with no money junior college was my last hope!
7) What was your JC coach like?
I love my JC coach Efran Martinez. I loved all my JC coaches. They welcomed me with open arms and helped me get to the position I am in now.
8) What's junior college life like?
Junior college life is a grind, but again I've been grinding for the last 5 years so everyday was just another day at the office!
9) You're originally from New York. What made you decide to come out to the West Coast and LA in particular?
Since I was little I always had a dream and joked with myself about what it be like to be mentioned amongst the best athletes to ever live. High hopes, I know, but what better place to go to accomplish that dream and joke then UCLA?
12) Please share w/ the fans your fondest recruiting story.
13) Who do you believe is most responsible for your success at the collegiate level?
14) What are you looking forward to the most as being a Golden Bear?
Hitting the home run and hearing the bear fans screaming with excitement. Of course I will only hear that after I score because you can't hear much while running except your cleats hitting the turf.
Again, thanks to Coleman and GO BEARS!