Augustus Edwards ended a hectic recruiting process that saw him receive 17 scholarship offers and multiple phone calls daily at a press conference in Staten Island Tuesday.

Surrounded by his family, the Tottenville High School running back announced his college decision, removing a gray Syracuse hat from a bag before talking about the strong relationships he built with the SU coaching staff the past two years.

“It’s hard to say no to a school that is recognizing your talent and when somebody recognizes that, it’s just hard to say no,” Edwards said at the press conference. “So it’s been tough but I’m happy with my decision and I’m just glad to get the process over with and get ready to work hard for the next season.”

Edwards, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound running back became Syracuse’s eighth commitment in the class of 2013. He is rated a three-star recruit by Scout.com, and he rushed for 995 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior last year, according to The New York Post.

Edwards said in particular that he felt comfortable with SU assistant coach John Anselmo, who recruited him. In addition to his strong relationship with Anselmo, Edwards said he was impressed with Syracuse after a visit to the school in April.

He cited the work ethic of the players and the school’s improving facilities as factors that played a part in his decision.

“I just want to be part of something great that I know is going to happen over there in the next couple of years,” Edwards said.

Tottenville coach Jim Munson opened the press conference praising Edwards for his hard work in the classroom and on the field to reach this point.

Munson said the process for Edwards began when he was a freshman. As college coaches began to recruit his former Tottenville teammates and SU freshman receiver Alvin Cornelius, Munson introduced them to Edwards too.

After his freshman season, Munson said Edwards realized he could earn a football scholarship.

“A light bulb went off in his head,” Munson said. “And he said, ‘I can do this, I can get a college scholarship if I keep my grades up, which he has done, and if I keep progressing as an athlete, which he has done.’”

During his sophomore season, Vanderbilt gave Edwards his first offer. Syracuse also got involved when Edwards was a sophomore as Anselmo noticed him while recruiting Cornelius.

By his junior year, Edwards said SU made an offer, and more continued to pile up from schools across the country.

Munson said Edwards is a big, agile running back who can run downhill and outside the tackles. The coach also said SU will be getting a running back who can block and catch passes out of the backfield.

“When he gets in the game, there’s really not a whole lot of substitution that has to go on,” Munson said. “He can do everything, he can do it all and that’s what he’s done for us the past two seasons.”

Edwards has one more season at Tottenville before he begins his career at Syracuse.

He said SU has been among his top choices since he received its offer because the school recruited him early in the process.

Edwards also took unofficial visits to Rutgers, Connecticut and Penn State, and considered offers from North Carolina State, Virginia and Maryland.

But in the end, even as bigger, higher-profile schools made offers late in the process, Edwards chose to commit to Syracuse and its coaching staff.

“There has been times when it’s been tough, like recently when Miami offered me, that being my dream school, it was hard,” Edwards said. “But sometimes you just got to do the right thing for you and I think Syracuse is the right place for me.”

Published on July 10, 2012 at 12:07 pm

Contact Ryne: rjgery@syr.edu