Football: Two-minute drill with UL’s Drew Edmiston

Joshua Parrott • jparrott@theadvertiser.com • August 21, 2008

When Drew Edmiston was 15, his dad got a job with a pharmaceutical company in Oklahoma. That meant Edmiston would have to leave St. Thomas More for his final three years of high school.

Fortunately for UL’s football team, Edmiston later returned to Lafayette to kick for the Ragin’ Cajuns.

The senior kicker, a preseason all-Sun Belt pick, recently took a few minutes to answer some questions from The Daily Advertiser about academics, life as a kicker and his future.

Question: What excites you the most about the upcoming football season?

Answer: It’s kind of bittersweet. I was excited to start off this year but then also sad because this is our last year to do something great. I think we have the potential to turn things around like we should of in the past, but things just didn’t work out. As a team we’ve been looking incredible over the summer and through fall practices.

Q: In some cases, kickers are considered outcasts because their workouts are different from the rest of the team. How exactly do you spend your practice time?

A: I come out here a little early to warm up that way once practices starts I’m already warm. We do most of our kicking in the first few periods, field goals and punts and kickoffs and things like that. When everyone else does group work, a lot of times I go off on the side and work on onside kicks or anything I could work on.

Q: As a junior you earned second team all-conference honors after making 10-of-13 field goals and 31-of-34 point-after attempts. What did you work on improving the most in the offseason?

A: That’s the one thing that really irked me about last year. I spent a lot of time on that. I changed up my steps and my follow through. I’m a lot more comfortable kicking this year.

Q: You were named to the conference’s honor roll three times and the commissioner’s list in the league last year. You also graduated in the spring with a degree in public relations and begin work in the fall on a master’s degree in business administration. Why do you take academics so seriously?

A: Academics have always been something my parents have instilled in me. I’ve always succeeded in school. I came here to play football but also to get a college degree. I had a goal to graduate in four years, and I did that. Now I guess I get to start grad school a little early.

Q: You wear No. 48 for the Cajuns. How did you end up with that jersey number?

A: It was what was available. I’ve had probably six numbers since I’ve been here. (As a redshirt freshman) I went up to (head) coach (Rickey) Bustle and asked what numbers were available. I saw No. 48 was available. Once I started playing I didn’t want my parents to have to change their shirts with my numbers on it, so I stuck with it.

Q: At 6-foot-4, 194 pounds, you have unusual size for a kicker. What are some of the advantage you have as a bigger kicker?

A: I’m not sure there are in kicking. I’ve seen short kickers that look like they couldn’t play badminton, and they can bomb it. I have a big foot. I don’t know if that helps or hurts.

Q: You actually grew up in Lafayette and attended St. Thomas More as a freshman before moving to Oklahoma when your dad got a new job. What is something else most people don’t know about you?

A: The only reason why I’m a kicker is because our kicker in high school got hurt. I played soccer growing up and quit soccer to play football in the ninth grade. In the 10th grade, our kicker got hurt. They needed someone to kick, so I decided to try it. It worked out for me.

Q: As a senior at Owasso High, you set state records after going 39-of-40 on point-after attempts and 7-of-9 on field goals. How did you end up at UL?

A: I was going to go to the University of Central Oklahoma and just go to school. Then my coaches said they would put some film together of me. We sent it out to a few schools. (Assistant) coach (Troy) Wingerter called me one night and said a spot was available. He called me back the next day and said a scholarship was open, and it was mine if I wanted it.

Q: How much did it help spending two years behind former Cajun kicker Sean Comiskey?

A: His work ethic was amazing. I could never kick as much as he did. My leg would fall off. Seeing his work ethic helped me realize I needed to take this seriously.

Q: What do you want to do in the future?

A: People ask me that every day. My answer is what happens happens. My goal right now is to have a good season here. If that happens and something opens up (in the NFL) then I’ll go with it. I just want to have a good last season here.