University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Anthony Edwards
January 08, 2020 | Men's Basketball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Not that many student-athletes arrive at college with a nickname-for-life already in place. Anthony Edwards, the much-heralded Georgia men's basketball freshman, was the Ant Man before he arrived in Athens and will be the Ant Man long after he leaves.
You can't help but feel good saying it, "Ant Man," and you can't help but feel good watching the talented and ultra-athletic Edwards, all 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds of him, playing for the Bulldogs. The Atlanta native is one of the top freshmen in the country and showed why Tuesday night when he had 23 points and five rebounds against Kentucky..
During a recent Quick Chat, Edwards talked about celebrity, his diet, travel and much more Here's some of what he had to say:Â
Frierson: We just flipped the calendar into a new year, so do you have any New Year's resolutions or goals that you've set for yourself?
Edwards: No, not really. I'm the same person that I was last year, so I just want to keep working hard.
Frierson: How has being a celebrity been for you? A lot of people know who you are, know about the "Ant Man," and that's not something that most of us will ever experience, particularly not at your age. Was there a learning curve for how to handle being well known and the center of attention?
Edwards: I just watched NBA players and how they signed people's stuff and things like that, just knowing how to be a "celebrity" I guess, but I'm not there yet.
Frierson: Well, you're a little bit here.
Edwards: I just keep watching them, man, and whatever they do I try to mimic it a little bit.
Frierson: What's something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Edwards: Definitely burgers and wings, I eat them every day. I've probably got the worst diet for a basketball player, for an athlete, of anybody [laughs] but it's all right, I work really hard.
Frierson: I was going to say, enjoy it while you can.
Edwards: I know that when I get older I've got to stop, most definitely.
Frierson: In terms of your college experience away from the basketball court, what's been the most interesting or enjoyable aspect of being at Georgia?
Edwards: I mean, just walking around and people knowing who I am is interesting. People just know who I am: "Are you that kid, the 5-star kid that Georgia got?"
I met this one lady that worked at the cafeteria and she was like, "Are you that dude, Anthony Howard or something? No, not Howard, Edwards, that's you, right, the 5-star?" I was like, "Yeah, that's me."
Just seeing her smile, her smile was huge, and that was amazing.
Frierson: That's quite a thing, to be able to put a smile on someone's face like that. That's a gift.
Edwards: That's a real gift, yeah.
Frierson: Speaking of gifts, since we just got through the holidays, what's the best gift you've ever received?
Edwards: Hmmm, I'm trying to think. I guess this game, man, and just being able to wake up every morning. That's a gift from God, the game is a gift from God. Everything God's given me is the best gift ever.
Frierson: Did you play any other sports growing up?
Edwards: I played football and baseball.
Frierson: How would you rate yourself as a football player?
Edwards: On a scale of 1 to 10, I was a 10 as a football player. Definitely. I was really good. I played running back, receiver, quarterback, safety, all types of stuff.
Frierson: So you're probably one of the few guys that could be at a Georgia football game and look down on the field and think, yeah, I could play with those guys.
Edwards: Yeah, I definitely could play receiver or safety for Georgia.
Frierson: If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you like to go and who would you take with you?
Edwards: That's a good question. I'd probably go to the Dominican Republic or Calabasas (Calif.) or maybe Paris. I definitely would take my family, my brothers, a couple of my friends, and just have fun. You can't go wrong with your friends, your brothers and your family — you can't go wrong.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
