Beau Baldwin insisted his star receiver spend time with a specific recruit coming to campus. While Nick Edwards wouldn’t be hosting the recruit, Baldwin, then-head coach at Eastern Washington University, wanted to make sure the Eagles made a good impression.
Edwards could provide it. Cooper Kupp, the recruit, visited Cheney, Washington, that weekend. He and Edwards hung out during the day and at night, working out together in the football facility instead of going partying.
The pitch worked -- Kupp committed to Eastern Washington. Long before he became the NFL’s leading receiver last season and Edwards was an Atlanta Falcons offensive assistant coach trying to work his way up in professional football, they were teammates and then player and coach at Eastern Washington.