The Voice of Reason

By BJ Bennett
SouthernPigskin.com

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Georgia Southern freshman safety Derek Heyden played on the biggest of stages Saturday, facing Armanti Edwards and 2nd ranked Appalachian State.

By Charlie K.
SouthernPigskin.com Columnist

Georgia Southern freshman safety Derek Heyden played on the biggest of stages Saturday, facing Armanti Edwards and 2nd ranked Appalachian State.

When Georgia Southern University true freshmen Derek Heyden goes to bed the night before a game he gets a little anxious.  It’s to be expected.  Just a year ago Heyden, the starting free safety for the Eagles, was making plays all over the field for Marist High School in Atlanta.  This past Saturday the true freshman called a lot of the defensive coverages in a heartbreaking 37-36 loss to Appalachian State in a game that Georgia Southern had to have to remain alive in the playoff picture.

“The night before big games I hardly get any sleep.  I don’t necessarily get nervous, it’s more anticipation and getting excited.  It’s not that I’m nervous to come out, I’m always confident and I know that our team will be able to compete and play our best.  That excitement for a big game atmosphere like this with big meaning behind it, it was rough getting a good night’s sleep,” a disappointed Heyden said after the Eagles 37-36 loss last Saturday to Appalachian St.http://www.nmnathletics.com.edgesuite.net/pics13/200/AO/AOFKIKFRDNGITOK.20080803184803.jpg

Without question adding fuel to the fire for Heyden last weekend was the fact he was going to be the last line of defense for the Eagles against one of the top players in the country at any level, Mountaineer quarterback Armanti Edwards.  Talk about a nightmare waiting to happen… 

“When we were watching film, a lot of teams weren’t blitzing Edwards.  They were just letting him sit back and run all over them and pass.  Our game plan was to come out in full force, make him move around and get away from our blitzes.  That was our game plan.  No other teams that we watched had blitzed, blitzed, blitzed.  That’s what we tried to do today.” Heyden explained.

So the question is how does a freshmen like Heyden, who just months ago was defending high school quarterbacks, step up in a big game with everything on the line.  In other words, Heyden was a world away from Atlanta and Marist High School Saturday playing against arguably one of the nation’s best run/pass quarterbacks.

“You try not to get shook, try not to get run over.  Just try to make a play,” Heyden acknowledged about defending Edwards.

A standout defensive back and running back during his senior season at Marist, Heyden got the attention of Tommy Tuberville and Auburn as well as most of the Southern Conference before signing with Georgia Southern.

Appalachian State head coach Jerry Moore and Edwards both had to be licking their collective chops to throw downfield against a true freshmen like Heyden in a huge SoCon game with everything on the line.  We’ve all seen it a million times when an opposing team locates an inexperienced player in the secondary.  They attack the player and the spot he defends and in many cases, slowing down any learning curve a freshman might have advanced to in leading up to the big game.  This past Saturday, however that wasn’t the case for Heyden or Edwards and Moore.

“The only matchup we sort of liked was number eight, our receiver, on the small corner.  That has happened to us in the past because up until this year we have had two small corners.  There were about his size, a matter of fact.  We ran into the same problem with the guy that can jump and catch.  But we didn’t think about the safety that much,” Appalachian State head coach Jerry Moore explained.

Nationally televised game against one of the nation’s best teams with perhaps the Payton Award winner in sights, for Heyden he keeps it all in perspective.

“The atmosphere, nothing like it, it was 28,000 or so. Biggest crowd I’ve ever played in front of besides Georgia. But this was at home and meant something. Our season was on the line in this one. We came out fired up, wearing all blue. We played as hard as we could, fought as hard as we could. Things just didn’t go our way.” Heyden said.

Although the postseason dreams of Derek Heyden and Georgia Southern in all likelihood came to a sudden end last Saturday in Statesboro, all is not lost for the young freshmen.  With three years remaining, including a rematch next fall in Boone, North Carolina against the Mountaineers and Edwards, I have a feeling we all will be hearing from Heyden.  I also have a feeling the NFL scouts will be hearing from him as well.  On a field sprinkled with future NFL prospects, Heyden was a true freshman playmaker with all the intangibles.  At 6’1’’ and at least 180 pounds, Heyden has the measurables.  And certainly after three years in the Eagle weight room, expect a bigger version in the years to come.  With his football IQ well advanced beyond his true freshmen status, it’s clear he also has the intangibles.  The Sunday league and the SoCon will be watching Heyden.  But on Saturday that was the least of Heyden worries.  In fact, I’m sure it wasn’t even a thought.

“I feel for the older guys.  I feel for the seniors.  This loss hurts and I feel bad for our senior leaders,” Heyden added.

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