Edwards chooses to sign with Wolverines
WEST BLOOMFIELD » An “L-Boys” reunion is in the works in Ann Arbor.
On Wednesday morning, West Bloomfield All-American running back Donovan Edwards woke up and called his two best friends, Makari Paige and Cornell Wheeler, at the University of Michigan. He let them know they would be teammates once again.
“Those guys are the ultimate competitors, when I let them know what was up, they were like ‘it’s on’ now,” Edwards said. “We’re going to do great things together. We’re going to get this thing turned around.”
Arguably the No. 1 ball carrier in the nation, Edwards (60, 190) signed with Michigan at a snowy, ESPN-broadcasted Signing Day ceremony where he chose the currently in-limbo Wolverines over Georgia and Notre Dame.
“Playing at Michigan has been on my mind for a while, I weighed the pros and cons the last couple days and it’s the place I need to be,” he said.
The announcement was held outside in freezing-cold temperature on the 50-yard line of the West Bloomfield Lakers home field because of COVID-19 restrictions on inside gatherings.
Members of the West Bloomfield football program refer to themselves as the “L-Boys.” Wheeler (linebacker) and Paige
(safety) played with Edwards for three years at West Bloomfield and signed with Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines last year.
Michigan went 2- 4 in 2020’s pandemic-plagued campaign and Harbaugh’s status as coach remains in question. Despite publicly expressing a desire to continue coaching at his alma mater, the former NFL quarterback and Super Bowl-appearing coach has yet to sign an extension with the university.
Edwards told reporters Wednesday he had not been in contact with Harbaugh yet to inform him of his decision and he wasn’t worried about the uncertainty surrounding the Michigan program.
“Coach Harbaugh has that competitive edge on the sidelines, I need a coach like that,” he said.
At West Bloomfield, Edwards was a four- year starter in the backfield and electrified crowds with his big-play ability. As a freshman, he took over starting duties mid-season on a 2017 “L-Boys” squad that fell in the Division 1 state finals.
Edwards graduated early this month and will be enrolling at Michigan in January, forgoing the possibility of wrapping up his senior season on the gridiron with his Lakers teammates if the MHSAA resumes the playoffs next year.
His final game in a Lakers uniform was a masterpiece, rushing for 146 yards and scoring six touchdowns in West Bloomfield’s 63- 6 thrashing of Sterling Heights Stevenson in the district championship game. A regional clash with Romeo is on-hold due to the epidemic order issued by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, along with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
“Donovan is an athletic freak, he’s just so special in so many ways,” gushed West Bloomfield head coach Ron Bellamy, who played wide receiver at Michigan before a career in the NFL.