Welcome to another edition of Draft Day Chronicles, where we take a look at incoming draftees and get their perspective of events and their thoughts leading up to draft night. This episode, we go in depth with a late declaring player that had some trepidation about declaring in is junior year for the Draft. Honda Edmond had all but decided he would return for a 5th year as a senior for the University of Michigan Wolverines, but some advice from his family and guidance from his college coaches led him to coming out for the Draft a year earlier than scheduled. Sit back with us and we will take you through 24 hours with a prospect where we will get to see the world through his eyes. We hope you gain a bit of knowledge and foresight into what the days leading up to such a momentous checkpoint in the life of a young athlete. Without further ado, DDC presents, Culmination: A Pre Draft Perspective with Honda.
We met Honda on the field of his former high school, Skyline in the hills of Oakland, where he was running the track and practicing with some high school students. What you first notice about Honda Edmond is his smile. You can can see it from a mile away. at 6'5" and 250 lbs, he stands head and shoulders above most crowds he is in. He would stand out in any environment, but it is always his smile that first ensnares you. The tall, muscular Honda is discussing his route tree with a young student as he prepares to run his route. He lines up, and on "GO" it's off to the races. His legs become a blur as he makes his way up the middle of the field before breaking off at 10 yards and cutting across the middle of the field. The throw comes in a bit behind him, with the grace of a dancer, Honda contorts his body mid stride and reaches behind him with his outstretched right arm. With minimal break in his stride, Honda corrals the football and you can see the indentations his fingers leave in the leather from the sidelines. This catch is met with the usual "Ooohs" and "Ahhhhs" from the high school kids, but Honda keeps his eyes first on the ball and then up field. He runs the length of the field before coming to a rest in the end zone.The small crowd cheers and Honda flicks the ball to a coach near him in the end zone. He makes eye contact with our crew on the sidelines and begins to jog back to the group of kids near the start of the drill. "You doing a story on Honda?" asks one of the kids nearest to me. "We are" I say to him, and he smiles and focuses back on the field. "He's a real one. He's gonna be dominant" the kid smiles a bit wider and heads onto the field. Honda finishes his session and signs a few autographs for the kids in attendance, and only after thanking every coach and player, does he finally jog over to us. Humility is not wasted on this guy. He smiles that smile again before letting us know he's gonna get a quick shower in and change before meeting us in the parking lot.
Prompt as ever, Honda makes his way from the locker room and into the parking lot. He shakes the hand of every member of our contingent before helping us load our cameras into his modest black SUV. Wearing a black T-shirt, gray sweats and his customary Jordan 11's, Honda looks like any other 21 year old, albeit much bigger. He hands me the AUX cord and says "Let me see what ya'll working with" with a wry smile before adjusting his sunglasses and focusing on the road. I open my Spotify playlist and settle on some 80's music. I am preparing for some groans or odd looks, when Honda begins to sing along with ToTo's "Africa". I mean, this kid knows every word and continues this for almost every song after. If he doesn't know the song, he immediately asks the title and the artist. " My dad raised me on this stuff" Honda's father, Deacon, was a high school football player prodigy as well. Deacon met Honda's mother, Ellaine, in high school and the two were immediately aware that this was forever. Deacon settled in and began to work two jobs when Ellaine informed him of her pregnancy. "Pops never missed a beat, bruh. He knew what he had to do and he did it. No questions asked. No what-ifs." Family would become what the Edmond family was known for, and Honda was no exception. We continued the car ride before we arrived at the a barbershop in East Oakland. Honda opened the door for our crew as we filed in and then took up the rear. As soon as he entered, every occupant of the building lit up and made their way over to him for introductions. He shook every hand, interacted with every patron and sat humbly in the corner seat to wait his turn. He had come here to get his hair cut since he was a child. His father brought him here to be around some of the men in his community. For him to learn that you need to interact with your community and be aware of all of its denizens, both good and bad. Following his hair cut, Honda made his way out of the shop, again shaking every hand and acknowledging all in attendance. We piled back into his SUV and drove off.
During this trip, we asked Honda what it felt like entering the draft and if there were any butterflies in his stomach. With a smile, and never taking an eye off the road, he said that the only butterflies were the ones that would adorn the dress he had purchased for his mother to wear during the event. Yes, Honda has an air of humility, but he is also as confident as they come. He remembers sitting in the locker room during the combine and listening to each prospect break down their concerns. "Some guys didn't want to run. They didn't feel like they could produce their best times." Honda, however, participated in every event. He would famously go on to tell media outlets in attendance "No offence to anyone else in the draft, but nobody is better than me." This mantra, he truly believes and knows deep down in his heart, is true.
![[Image: xFaz3pT.png]](https://i.imgur.com/xFaz3pT.png)
We pull into the parking lot of Everett and Jones BBQ and again, Honda holds open the door for us as we pile in. He is again met with a crowd, and per usual, interacts with everyone. Honda orders and then gives the crew his recommendations. Over lunch, Honda lets us a bit more into his pre draft process. He says none of this gets to him and that he and his family are prepared. We ask him what was it that changed his mind about returning to Michigan and he gets eerily quite. After a bit of thought, he places his fork on the plate and looks seemingly into my soul. He searches for a bit and finally says "My family" before picking his fork up and continuing his meal. He then elaborates. His father never reached the NFL despite what his trajectory was. Deacon had always insisted that he made the right decision and didn't regret putting his sport to the side to focus on his family. "I played for him. He is the reason I love this game so much." Honda was never pressured to play. He says the only pressure he ever received from his parents involved his studying. "They made sure I had good grades. If I didn't, I couldn't play." Honda graduated high school with a 4.1 GPA and maintained a 3.8 GPA throughout his time at Michigan. He graduated in the middle of his junior year with a B.S. in Biology. Sciences have always been his "thing" he says. He knew school came first, football second, and he never let it go any other way.
We spent a few hours at Everett and Jones and when it came time to leave, it was approaching the late afternoon, early evening. We asked if we would be seeing the elder Edmonds, but were told that he had sent his parents on a spa day to relax them for the draft. He quickly informed us he "didn't need all that" when asked why he wasn't relaxing and had agreed to this interview. He drove us around his old neighborhood and showed us the apartment he spent most of his childhood in. He parked across the street from his old home and sat silent for a beat. "My family is everything. I don't know where I would be without them." His family was a popular topic throughout the day. You had a sense that if asked, he would drop football in a heartbeat for them. He then turned the key of his SUV and we headed back to the high school.
![[Image: Aht5idl.png]](https://i.imgur.com/Aht5idl.png)
Once we arrived in the parking lot, Honda helped our crew load all of equipment and shook everyone's hand. Honda, then started to make his way down to the field where an entirely different group of high school kids waited. I asked if he was going to go home and relax. He smiled that smile for the last time today, "Naw bruh, nobody is else resting. Those kids down there are still working, so I am gonna go get this work in." He disappeared into the locker room soon after. I don't know who is going to take a chance on this kid on draft night, but whoever does is going to get themselves "a real one".
WC:1,651
We met Honda on the field of his former high school, Skyline in the hills of Oakland, where he was running the track and practicing with some high school students. What you first notice about Honda Edmond is his smile. You can can see it from a mile away. at 6'5" and 250 lbs, he stands head and shoulders above most crowds he is in. He would stand out in any environment, but it is always his smile that first ensnares you. The tall, muscular Honda is discussing his route tree with a young student as he prepares to run his route. He lines up, and on "GO" it's off to the races. His legs become a blur as he makes his way up the middle of the field before breaking off at 10 yards and cutting across the middle of the field. The throw comes in a bit behind him, with the grace of a dancer, Honda contorts his body mid stride and reaches behind him with his outstretched right arm. With minimal break in his stride, Honda corrals the football and you can see the indentations his fingers leave in the leather from the sidelines. This catch is met with the usual "Ooohs" and "Ahhhhs" from the high school kids, but Honda keeps his eyes first on the ball and then up field. He runs the length of the field before coming to a rest in the end zone.The small crowd cheers and Honda flicks the ball to a coach near him in the end zone. He makes eye contact with our crew on the sidelines and begins to jog back to the group of kids near the start of the drill. "You doing a story on Honda?" asks one of the kids nearest to me. "We are" I say to him, and he smiles and focuses back on the field. "He's a real one. He's gonna be dominant" the kid smiles a bit wider and heads onto the field. Honda finishes his session and signs a few autographs for the kids in attendance, and only after thanking every coach and player, does he finally jog over to us. Humility is not wasted on this guy. He smiles that smile again before letting us know he's gonna get a quick shower in and change before meeting us in the parking lot.
Prompt as ever, Honda makes his way from the locker room and into the parking lot. He shakes the hand of every member of our contingent before helping us load our cameras into his modest black SUV. Wearing a black T-shirt, gray sweats and his customary Jordan 11's, Honda looks like any other 21 year old, albeit much bigger. He hands me the AUX cord and says "Let me see what ya'll working with" with a wry smile before adjusting his sunglasses and focusing on the road. I open my Spotify playlist and settle on some 80's music. I am preparing for some groans or odd looks, when Honda begins to sing along with ToTo's "Africa". I mean, this kid knows every word and continues this for almost every song after. If he doesn't know the song, he immediately asks the title and the artist. " My dad raised me on this stuff" Honda's father, Deacon, was a high school football player prodigy as well. Deacon met Honda's mother, Ellaine, in high school and the two were immediately aware that this was forever. Deacon settled in and began to work two jobs when Ellaine informed him of her pregnancy. "Pops never missed a beat, bruh. He knew what he had to do and he did it. No questions asked. No what-ifs." Family would become what the Edmond family was known for, and Honda was no exception. We continued the car ride before we arrived at the a barbershop in East Oakland. Honda opened the door for our crew as we filed in and then took up the rear. As soon as he entered, every occupant of the building lit up and made their way over to him for introductions. He shook every hand, interacted with every patron and sat humbly in the corner seat to wait his turn. He had come here to get his hair cut since he was a child. His father brought him here to be around some of the men in his community. For him to learn that you need to interact with your community and be aware of all of its denizens, both good and bad. Following his hair cut, Honda made his way out of the shop, again shaking every hand and acknowledging all in attendance. We piled back into his SUV and drove off.
During this trip, we asked Honda what it felt like entering the draft and if there were any butterflies in his stomach. With a smile, and never taking an eye off the road, he said that the only butterflies were the ones that would adorn the dress he had purchased for his mother to wear during the event. Yes, Honda has an air of humility, but he is also as confident as they come. He remembers sitting in the locker room during the combine and listening to each prospect break down their concerns. "Some guys didn't want to run. They didn't feel like they could produce their best times." Honda, however, participated in every event. He would famously go on to tell media outlets in attendance "No offence to anyone else in the draft, but nobody is better than me." This mantra, he truly believes and knows deep down in his heart, is true.
We pull into the parking lot of Everett and Jones BBQ and again, Honda holds open the door for us as we pile in. He is again met with a crowd, and per usual, interacts with everyone. Honda orders and then gives the crew his recommendations. Over lunch, Honda lets us a bit more into his pre draft process. He says none of this gets to him and that he and his family are prepared. We ask him what was it that changed his mind about returning to Michigan and he gets eerily quite. After a bit of thought, he places his fork on the plate and looks seemingly into my soul. He searches for a bit and finally says "My family" before picking his fork up and continuing his meal. He then elaborates. His father never reached the NFL despite what his trajectory was. Deacon had always insisted that he made the right decision and didn't regret putting his sport to the side to focus on his family. "I played for him. He is the reason I love this game so much." Honda was never pressured to play. He says the only pressure he ever received from his parents involved his studying. "They made sure I had good grades. If I didn't, I couldn't play." Honda graduated high school with a 4.1 GPA and maintained a 3.8 GPA throughout his time at Michigan. He graduated in the middle of his junior year with a B.S. in Biology. Sciences have always been his "thing" he says. He knew school came first, football second, and he never let it go any other way.
We spent a few hours at Everett and Jones and when it came time to leave, it was approaching the late afternoon, early evening. We asked if we would be seeing the elder Edmonds, but were told that he had sent his parents on a spa day to relax them for the draft. He quickly informed us he "didn't need all that" when asked why he wasn't relaxing and had agreed to this interview. He drove us around his old neighborhood and showed us the apartment he spent most of his childhood in. He parked across the street from his old home and sat silent for a beat. "My family is everything. I don't know where I would be without them." His family was a popular topic throughout the day. You had a sense that if asked, he would drop football in a heartbeat for them. He then turned the key of his SUV and we headed back to the high school.
Once we arrived in the parking lot, Honda helped our crew load all of equipment and shook everyone's hand. Honda, then started to make his way down to the field where an entirely different group of high school kids waited. I asked if he was going to go home and relax. He smiled that smile for the last time today, "Naw bruh, nobody is else resting. Those kids down there are still working, so I am gonna go get this work in." He disappeared into the locker room soon after. I don't know who is going to take a chance on this kid on draft night, but whoever does is going to get themselves "a real one".
WC:1,651
![[Image: 9WG5J5o.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/9WG5J5o.jpg)
![[Image: p9JPL33.png]](https://i.imgur.com/p9JPL33.png)
![[Image: woody.jpg?width=343&height=426]](https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/746110496431800440/817809669291769876/woody.jpg?width=343&height=426)
![[Image: gump_hof.jpg?width=469&height=586]](https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/610897595358773249/894377246037524497/gump_hof.jpg?width=469&height=586)
