Cd'A's Edwards commits to Griz

In making his college choice, Kale Edwards picked the school where he felt the most comfortable.

What side of the ball they wanted him to play was secondary — sort of.

Earlier this week Edwards, the Coeur d’Alene High quarterback/safety, verbally committed to play football at the University of Montana, which recruited him to play either linebacker or safety.

“I just love the atmosphere,” Edwards said. “I know how good they have been in the past with (coach Bobby) Hauck, and I think they will return to that in the future.”

The 6-foot-5, 210-pound Edwards was a two-way starter for Coeur d’Alene, which reached the semifinals of the state 5A playoffs before losing to eventual champion Rocky Mountain of Meridian. He passed for 1,985 yards and 19 touchdowns, with four interceptions, and rushed for 494 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was also fourth on the team with 74 tackles, including 7 1/2 tackles for loss, and had a team-high four interceptions.

Edwards was voted MVP of the 5A Inland Empire League.

This year Montana, with Hauck back for his second stint in Missoula, finished 6-5, 4-4 in the Big Sky. The Griz lost their season finale to rival Montana State, which advanced to the FCS playoffs at 7-4 overall, 5-3 in the Big Sky.

Edwards also had scholarship offers from three other Big Sky schools — Idaho, Idaho State and Montana State — as well as Montana State-Northern of the NAIA.

Edwards said Idaho and Montana State was interested in him as an “athlete” — i.e., bring him in and figure out where he fits best once practices start. Idaho State was interested in him as a quarterback. Eastern Washington, which had recently expressed interest, saw him as a linebacker.

In the end, Edwards said he didn’t care on which side of the ball he played.

“I didn’t really have a preference because I loved both (offense and defense),” he said. “It came down to which school I felt comfortable.”

Edwards said he has gotten to know some of the other Montana recruits in the 2019 class, and has been texting with them, and is excited about being part of the class that can “return them to their dominance.” The Griz haven’t made the playoffs since 2015.

Edwards said he suffered a broken right (throwing) wrist in the Vikings’ quarterfinal football game vs. Borah of Boise on Nov. 2. He said he didn’t know when; and he played both ways the following week at Rocky Mountain in the semis.

But he said his wrist wasn’t officially diagnosed as broken until the fourth day of basketball practice, the week after the Rocky game, when Viking basketball coaches suggested he get his wrist examined.

Edwards said he was just cleared Saturday to return to basketball practice.

Edwards said he plans to take his official recruiting visit to Montana in mid-December, and plans to sign his letter of intent when the early signing period begins Dec. 19.

He noted Montana State’s quarterback this year (Troy Andersen) is a converted linebacker who moved to QB when the projected starter was sidelined for academic reasons. So just because Edwards is planning to go to Montana to play defense right now, you never know.

“To be on the field 100 percent of the time, that would be the dream,” Edwards said.