Edwards has at least 30 stitches

BOONE

Armanti Edwards wasn't in the position he wanted to be yesterday before Appalachian State's second practice of the season.

He was reclining on an equipment cart, with his bandaged right foot elevated.

Edwards, Appalachian's catalyst and record-setting quarterback, suffered a setback to the start of his senior season on Wednesday when he sustained a deep cut, running from the top of his right foot to his little toe, from the blade of a push mower while mowing a lawn.

Receiver Brian Quick said that he and Edwards had agreed to mow the yard at a house they rent in Boone. It was Edwards' turn, and Quick said that Edwards was mowing on a hill when he slipped on wet grass.

"I was walking home from class and I saw him cutting the grass and trying to get the hill," Quick said. "He slipped. I saw him walk in the house and when I got in, he was sitting in the bathroom holding his foot with towels."

Quick took Edwards to Watauga Medical Center. Edwards said that he received at least 30 stitches.

"It was an old-fashioned push lawn mower," Edwards said. "I was still holding onto the (release bar) when it happened.

"My foot slipped when I was pushing the lawnmower up. It was a freak accident. I knew it could be really bad, because my (tennis) shoe was really messed up."

The cut was deep and long and went to the bone, but no bones were broken and it was determined that there was no damage to tendons or ligaments.

Edwards said that he called ASU's trainer, and Coach Jerry Moore went to the hospital to be with Edwards after he got word that he had been injured.

Edwards is expected to miss two to four weeks of practice, and his status for Appalachian's season-opening game at East Carolina on Sept. 5 isn't certain.

"It definitely won't be any quicker than two weeks, because they won't take the stitches out before then," Edwards said.

Moore said that he thinks Edwards might be able to work out on exercise machines in two weeks and thinks the four-week overall time frame isn't out of the question.

"He can take the cut, there's no question about that," Moore said. "Now how soon he can push off that foot, I think that's going to be the tell-tale thing.

"How quick is that tissue going to heal, who knows? You don't get treatment to speed that up. Only time heals that."

Edwards said that it's a setback, but added that he'll be optimistic.

"It happened at the beginning of the season, so the only thing that I'm worried about is just getting back in shape for the game that's coming up," Edwards said.

"It could be a good thing or a bad thing. It seems I always get injured at some point in the season so hopefully this is the only time I'll get injured. I've been a fast recoverer since I've been here, so there's no doubt I'll recover fast again."

Moore said: "Armanti is a great player, everybody knows that, and if you've followed him and you know a lot about the inner workings of Armanti Edwards, pain for him is not like it is for all the rest of us. His pain threshold is extremely high. He is a tough kid.

"I think he's disappointed right now, we're all disappointed right now, but I don't think he's going to mope around and have a pity party for a month. He'll be out there running on that foot and cutting on it as soon as he possibly can."

In the meantime, DeAndre Presley, who saw game time last season as a freshman backup to Edwards, will get a lot of preseason work. Presley said the approach will be no different for him.

"You always prepare to be ready whenever needed," Presley said. "My role is to back up my leader and give it everything I've got to be ready."

Quick said: "It could have been a lot worse. But it was a shocking thing to go through."

Edwards managed to laugh when asked how many lawnmower jokes he's heard the last few days.

"No more cutting the grass for me," Edwards said. "We've already got a lot of people who said they'll mow it."

Moore acknowledged that.

"We've got about 12,000 people here in town that will mow his yard the rest of the year," Moore said. "I think his yard will be in nice shape. I don't know what kind of shape his toe will be in."

■ Tommy Bowman can be reached at 727-7320 or at tbowman@wsjournal.com