Andy Hamilton

ahamilton@dmreg.com

The confluence of five hours of interstate solitude, a notebook filled with summaries of campus visits and an inadvisable class load helped Iowa State add to its secondary.

Duke graduate transfer Evrett Edwards announced his plans Monday to join the Cyclones this summer. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound safety said he reached his decision in his car on Sunday, when he drove back to Durham, N.C. after a visit to Maryland.

“I stopped at a gas station and reviewed my notes and I had a bunch of time to think,” he said. “I just sat and thought and I had all (Sunday) to go over everything again. After everything I’d written down and reviewing my notes, it was the best place for me.”

Edwards appeared in 25 games during the past two seasons as a reserve safety for the Blue Devils, collecting 26 tackles and an interception.

His most impressive work at Duke might have been in the classroom. He’ll graduate in three years with a degree in international comparative studies.

Edwards said the typical Duke student takes three classes a semester. He took six this spring.

“Don’t try it,” he said. “I just pounded myself with classes. Five classes here, six classes this semester, summer school — I just took classes.”

The extra course work enabled Edwards to put himself on college football’s free agent market this spring with two years of eligibility remaining. He said he reached out to more than 50 programs in search of a new home. The former three-star recruit from Woodbridge, Va., also considered Maryland, Utah State and Troy before picking the Cyclones.

“I was comfortable (at Iowa State),” he said. “The (4-2-5) defensive scheme is extremely similar to the one I’m coming from; the only difference was the names of plays. The terminology wasn’t that different from the one I’m coming from and the coaches told me, ‘You come here and you have the opportunity to play. We’re not going to B.S. you.' That was something I respected very much.

“Then there’s the culture. It’s a new coaching staff, and I asked the kids, ‘What’s the difference between the last coaching staff and this coaching staff? How do you feel about it?’ And the kids were excited about it. They’re enjoying themselves since coach (Matt) Campbell and his crew got there.”