San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has no shortage of confidence as he prepares to enter his rookie NFL season. Having a little fun, he declared via Twitter that he would have beaten his former Arizona State head coach, Herm Edwards, in his prime on the football field.
As you probably know, Edwards is a former NFL cornerback who played a decade with the Philadelphia Eagles before brief stints with the Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Rams. He finished his career with 33 interceptions and two touchdowns.
I'm cooking Herm in his prime 😭
— Brandon Aiyuk (@THE2ERA) May 14, 2020
Edwards, always the good sport, replied to his former player.
I love you, but you must be having a nightmare. Wake up! #BadDream https://t.co/mnFd6KfhJq
— Herm Edwards (@HermEdwards) May 14, 2020
— Brandon Aiyuk (@THE2ERA) May 14, 2020
Edwards, who has a close relationship with general manager John Lynch, was instrumental in persuading the 49ers to draft Aiyuk.
San Francisco knew that Aiyuk's slower-than-expected 40-time at the NFL Scouting Combine was due to a core-muscle injury. The receiver underwent surgery in April to repair the damage.
"I don't think he was healthy," Lynch explained in April. "He's since had that core-muscle surgery, but he ran a 4.5, and our eyes sure didn't see a 4.5. Our eyes saw a guy that never got caught. Sure enough, when I talked to Herm, Herm said, 'Don't believe that. He's a high 4.3 guy all day long.'"
The 49ers made Aiyuk the No. 25 overall pick, and their second of two first-round selections.
Edwards is entering his third season as the coach of the Sun Devils after coaching in the NFL and a media career with ESPN.