This time last year, Donovan Edwards wasn’t feeling his best.
He’d had knee Surgery in February, which restricted his participation in spring ball with the rest of the Michigan football team. Edwards was losing his love for the game, and he didn’t get the chance to find his groove again with the pressure off. It set him back, and as he worked through his recovery, he never fully found his footing.
But one season later and with spring ball looming again, the senior running back is feeling better than ever.
“I’ve always had this fire in my heart,” Edwards said Monday. “… And I’ll be honest, I kinda lost it going into my junior year. Not feeling great, I’m not getting the carries that I want. But it clicked for me again that the fire in my heart was there again. … It showed back up.”
Fire back in his heart, Edwards is embracing the new season. At 14 pounds heavier than last year, he’s prepared for the wear and tear that a bellcow running back endures. The speed that’s created so many of his big plays is back. And in a young running back room filled with Versatility, Edwards is ready to set the example.
But there’s something else about him, too.
These days, Edwards walks around with an air of maturity surrounding him. He’s seen the highs of a national championship and simultaneously the lows of a season that fell well short of expectations on an individual level. He’s no longer the kid that envisioned last season as his last with the Wolverines, a simple stepping stone to the next level.
