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OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- In a span of one November afternoon, Baltimore Ravens running back Gus Edwards bowled over Cincinnati Bengals defenders, put his name in the NFL record books and sent fantasy football managers scrambling. Who exactly is Gus Edwards? He delivered a breakout performance in Sunday's 24-21 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, rushing for 115 yards and a touchdown. It was an unexpected performance by Edwards, an undrafted rookie who spent the first five weeks on the practice squad and carried the ball 15 times in four games before Sunday. "So I’m going to always be prepared," Edwards said. "From day one when I came in here, they told me what it was going to be like on this team. A lot of things played into it, but you’ve always got to be ready." Edwards proved to be the perfect complement to quarterback Lamar Jackson. In the Ravens' run-pass option scheme, Jackson can give the ball to Edwards, who is a physical, north-south runner, or keep it and hit the edges. This combination of Edwards and Jackson made NFL history. It marked the first time a rookie quarterback and running back each surpassed 100 yards rushing in a game. The last time a quarterback and running back each eclipsed 100 yards rushing was December 2014, when Colin Kaepernick and Frank Gore accomplished the feat. "He sure took the bull by the horns," coach John Harbaugh said. "He gives us that back that we probably didn’t have earlier in the year."  Here are five things to know about Edwards:
Fantasy fallout: Edwards is currently being shown as rostered in 0.0 percent of ESPN fantasy leagues, which isn't exactly true. He is on the roster on 231 fantasy leagues, which is less than a tenth of a percentage. Here are some running backs who are on more fantasy rosters than Edwards: TJ Logan, Mike Boone, Boston Scott and Kalen Ballage. It's safe to assume Edwards will be a popular waiver addition with the Ravens facing the Oakland Raiders and the No. 31 run defense. $6,000 signing bonus: Edwards was not selected in this year's draft, which saw 20 running backs and 256 players taken. He signed with the Ravens for a $6,000 signing bonus, according to a report by the NFL Network. Edwards didn't make the 53-man roster at the end of the preseason and joined the Baltimore practice squad, where he had to show patience. When Kenneth Dixon suffered a knee injury in the season opener, the Ravens chose to promote De'Lance Turner to fill that spot on the running back depth chart. A month later, Turner hurt his hamstring, which led to Edwards' getting elevated to the 53. Looks up to Tony Jefferson: One player whom Edwards has admired is safety Tony Jefferson, who went from being undrafted to an NFL starter. Edwards would retweet Jefferson's advice to this year's undrafted rookies on how to make the team, from not messing up in practice to asking questions to staying healthy. Edwards doesn't tweet much himself. His last original tweet came on Oct. 8, when he let everyone that he wanted to see the movie "Venom." From Miami to Rutgers: In college, Edwards decided to transfer from the Miami Hurricanes after being the No. 3 running back behind Mark Walton and Joe Yearby. It worked out for Edwards, who became Rutgers' offensive MVP in 2017. He led the Scarlet Knights in rushing yards (713), all-purpose yards (816) and touchdowns (seven). Meanwhile, Walton became a fourth-round pick of the Bengals (but he didn't receive a carry Sunday against the Ravens), and Yearby is with the Orlando Apollos of the Alliance of American Football. Working out and changing diapers: Edwards' pre-draft days were filled with caring after his 1-year old son, Augustus Jr., as well as training for a future in the NFL. "I wake up every morning, make sure he eats, change his diaper when he needs that, and get ready for a workout," Edwards told the NJ Advance Media in March. At his pro day, Edwards ran a 4.52 40-yard dash. In comparison, running back Sony Michel, a first-round pick by the Patriots, ran a 4.54 at the NFL combine.
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