Avery Martin – Contributor
Divine Edwards is one of the few athletes at the university who competes in two sports. The sophomore and exercise science major represents the Owls in football and track. He believes his experience in both sports influences his performance and allows him to become a better athlete.
Edwards is a wide receiver on the football team and does sprints for the track team. He also competed in both sports in high school, where he was a track All-American and led his school football team to All-State and All-Conference titles. He acknowledges that it can sometimes be hard to balance both demanding sports, but from his perspective it is worth it.
“It is definitely a struggle. It can be a physical and mental struggle. My body goes through a big change. For track, I lose about 10 pounds going into the season to get as lean as I can. In the summer, I gain all that weight back for football. To balance it all, I make sure I have a good diet, I don’t get behind with working out, and I don’t do anything that could compromise my athletic ability,” said Edwards.
Head Track and Field Coach John Wallin helps to make sure Edwards is performing to the best of his ability on and off the track. “I think he balances both sports pretty well. I check in with him literally every day to make sure he isn’t overworked or overloaded, but I think he does a good job,” said Wallin.
Despite this, Edwards and his coaches believe that the two-sport approach positively impacts him. “Track gets me faster. My coach gets me really fast and strong, so when I go into football season, that correlates to my speed, and I use that strength on the field. Football helps my mentality for track. It helps me be prepared for it,” said Edwards.
“The athleticism he gets from track and staying active and healthy helps him. We have a championship-winning track program here, and he plays a role in their success as much as he plays a role on the football team,” said Head Football Coach Tom Godek.
Godek is looking forward to seeing Edwards, who he enthusiastically describes as hard-working and dedicated, have more time on the field. “He really works hard at his craft and at becoming a better receiver for us. He is truly a team guy. We are hoping to see him have more action on the field as the weeks progress,” said Godek.
Wallin also believes that this upcoming track season will be Edwards’ best yet. “He is getting better. He made a lot of improvements last year. Divine is a guy that wants to get better, so he is a good listener and a very coachable young man. He made a lot of progress last year, but I think this year he will be even better,” said Wallin.
When asked why he chooses to pursue two demanding sports at the collegiate level, Edwards is sure to mention his dedication and deep love for football and track. “I get this question a lot. The reason is because I like both the same. I have a crazy love for both of them. What made me do both sports here is the coaching staff of football and track are just great. It’s like having two different families,” said Edwards.
