Herm Edwards describes ‘humbling feeling’ of isolating with COVID-19

Arizona State head coach Herm Edwards isn’t used to being away from his office for long, but that’s what testing positive for COVID-19 forced him to do.

Edwards said on All Aboard with Herm Edwards Tuesday that the 12 days he was away was easily the most time he’d spent not in the Sun Devils’ facilities, and he had a lot of me time to reflect.

“I tell ya what, it’s interesting when you hear from people that have gotten the virus,” Edwards said. “And I’ve had some friends and coaches that I’ve reached out to who had the virus before I even had it. And they tell you, ‘There’s gonna be some moments when it’s tough.’

“When you sit by yourself in a room for 24 hours and you don’t go anywhere — it’s a humbling feeling when you have no freedom … it makes you really realize how fortunate we really are, and I just hope people stay away from it because it’s not a lot of fun.”

ASU is currently on pace to play only half of its shortened schedule due to the team’s COVID-19 outbreak, and that was going to be just six games in the first place.

The Sun Devils’ third straight game was canceled on Tuesday, Sunday’s tilt against Utah. After losing the season opener to USC 28-27, only meetings against UCLA on Dec. 5 and Arizona on Dec. 11 remain.

Edwards believes they can add another game, and later confirmed he was speaking about the in-conference matchups during conference championship week.

The Sun Devils will have another round of COVID-19 testing at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday morning before returning to practice at 8:00 a.m. with the players that are healthy to prepare for the Bruins. That marks the team’s first practice in a while, as several players’ quarantine and testing periods will have passed the requirements.

“Once we get into the mode of practicing, that always kind of makes you feel better as a football player,” Edwards said.

In the meantime, healthy players have been working out in small groups with ASU strength coach Joe Connolly.

Edwards is just happy to be back himself.

“When I came over here today and walked out on the field and watched our players, and the embrace that I got from my players — it was unbelievable,” he said.

“It’s just amazing when you’re in this and you’re preparing to win games … the relationships that you have with your players, with your coaching staff — these guys have never seen me not in the building … when I walked into this place, it was a feeling that I was back home. It was emotional, I can tell you that.”

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