We forget sometimes how young some of these NFL guys are. Guys come into the league at 20 or 21 years old. Even with several years of college under their belts, these guys are just barely removed from being teenagers. Some, as was the case for Raiders wide receiver Bryan Edwards, stayed close to home for college, so when they get drafted into the NFL, it can be an extreme culture shock.
Edwards grew up in Conway South Carolina, went to Conway High School and attended the University of South Carolina in Columbia which is a little over two hours away. Then he gets drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders and suddenly at age 21 he’s pulled away from his family and everything he knows and heads across the country.
That’s not easy for anyone, even a football player who people like to think of as being tough and battle tested.
When he arrived, however, there was a familiar face in the wide receiver room — Hunter Renfrow.
Renfrow also grew up in South Carolina, attending Socastee High School in Myrtle Beach, which is the next town over from Conway. The two receivers have known each other since JV football. Renfrow was a year ahead of Edwards and also stayed in-state for college at Clemson.
“It was vital, honestly,” Edwards said of Renfrow as a teammate. “Coming all the way out here from South Carolina, I’d never really been out of the state my entire life, so coming out here to Vegas and everything new, having Hunter here was important. Just having a familiar face here, he helped me so much. Mentally you get a little homesick and you have a guy right there that understands you, that’s huge.”
The two young receivers have tremendous respect for each others’ games as well. Edwards calls Renfrow a “Swiss army knife, tough as nails” and “a true dog.” Renfrow says of Edwards “You can’t guard him when he’s locked in and he’s going full speed.”
Renfrow has proven to be an asset to the Raiders as a slot receiver and third-down target. While Edwards is still trying to carve out his niche as a jump ball, red-zone target. He just needs to stay healthy in order to showcase the skills he shows in camp on game day.
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