Braylon Edwards probably means what he said. Even if he didn't, he knows that he will be playing in Ohio and wants the support of all Ohioans. I'm sure that he will say the politically correct thing. I saw an ESPN story on him and he wants mega dollar endorsemewnt deals. He has a marketing agent and I'm sure he is well coached. In addition, here is another story on him:
Edwards is ready for the big time. Former U-M player prepared himself for the NFL career he never doubted he would have.<!--/deck-->
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By Angelique S. Chengelis / The Detroit News
<!--CR-->Associated Press<!--/CR-->
<!--CA-->Braylon Edwards says he believes he's the best player in the draft, but he wants to wait until after his rookie season to sign endorsement deals.
<!--/CA-->
ANN ARBOR -- Braylon Edwards already enjoys some of the luxuries of the major NFL player he could become. The list includes a $140,000 Bentley Continental GT Coupe, six-carat diamond-encrusted earrings, an agent and a marketing manager.
So he heads to New York for this weekend's NFL draft with loads of confidence.
Edwards, a former Michigan Wolverine and the 2004 Biletnikoff Award winner as the nation's top receiver, is considered by many to be the most talented player available.
On the verge of a multimillion-dollar career, Edwards, who is always opinionated, finds that difficult to argue.
"I believe I'm the best player in the draft," Edwards, a Detroit native, said Wednesday during a news conference.
Obviously, teams draft based on needs. But San Francisco, which has the No. 1 selection, could go with a quarterback or a receiver.
"I think I have a legitimate shot," Edwards, 22, said of being the top overall pick. "I don't see why not. They have a very tough decision. But who knows? I hope they go with me."
The Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns, who have the second and third picks, respectively, also have expressed interest in Edwards.
Edwards, who is 6-foot-3, 210 pounds and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.48 seconds, is an exceptional, game-breaking talent. He became Michigan's career receiving leader with 3,541 yards and is the only receiver in Big Ten history to have three straight seasons of 1,000 yards or more.
He considered heading to the NFL after his junior season but decided to return to U-M, in part to increase his draft prospects.
"Each year I've continuously gotten better, and I still think I have another level to get to in terms of my peaking out and maxing out my potential," Edwards said. "The things I've done on the field and off the field, in the classroom, I'm the complete package. As a coach, as a GM, as an owner you want somebody who is not going to give you any problems, somebody that's team-oriented, and somebody that is going to sell out for the team. I believe I'm all that and more."
Edwards said he was destined for this moment. He was 5 years old, he said, when he realized he wanted to play professional football. His father, Stanley, also played for the Wolverines and in the NFL.
"There has never been a time when I said -- and this is going to sound funny -- that I was not going to play in the NFL," Edwards said. "It's always been my dream. It's always been my goal. It's always been something I've worked for.
"In the back of my mind, I was always thinking, 'OK, what do I have to do today to get better, to get to the NFL?' There has never been a time I didn't think I was going to the NFL."
So he is on his way, and he will arrive in style. The Bentley, Edwards said, is paid for.
"Not with loan money," he said, "but with money I've made off of card deals and things I've done that way. It's all about being smart."
Edwards said he will not balk at any advertising / marketing deals that come his way, but he would prefer to wait a year until he gets settled in the NFL. He said those in his camp believe he could be a marketing star.
"They say I can be huge," Edwards said. "Speaking well, and how I present myself ... that goes a long way. Two, I'm handsome. I'm handsome, it's safe to say."
Edwards started to laugh.
"You've got to have a good MO (modus operandi)," Edwards said. "You can't be a guy who has felonies, or has been in a couple of AA meetings in your lifetime. You can't have that on your rap sheet. My marketer tells me I can be the biggest thing since sliced bread. But the main thing about that is not getting caught up in it."
http://www.detnews.com/2005/lions/05...D03-157358.htm
(actually I lived there during the summers for a while - loveland area. Not a bad town. 
