Edwards Excels at Being No. 1

Are you craving a little bit of the Rose Bowl the way it used to be, before the BCS got involved and the Pacific 10-Big Ten matchup got displaced?

Take comfort that at least this New Year’s Day game will feature the winged helmets and maize-and-blue uniforms of Michigan, led by a guy wearing blue jersey No. 1

The sight takes you back to the Bo Schembechler days, to Anthony Carter, lined up outside, arms dangling as he waited for the snap.

Now that jersey belongs to senior Braylon Edwards. And by the time he removes it for the last time today, he could claim to be the greatest wide receiver ever to wear it. Edwards already holds two of the “triple crown” of school receiving records, thanks to his 242 receptions and 3,432 yards receiving. He needs two touchdown catches today to surpass Carter’s touchdown reception record of 37.

Michigan offensive coordinator Terry Malone doesn’t need any numeric validation. That Edwards became the first Wolverine to win the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver gives him even more ammunition.

“I can’t speak for the history of Michigan football, but I find it hard to believe that there’s been a better receiver here than Braylon Edwards,” Malone said.

“I know [Carter] was a great player. But for us, I’ll take Braylon.”

Edwards is enough of a football historian -- he can recite Keyshawn Johnson’s 1996 Rose Bowl stats almost to the yard -- to know what it means to hear Carter’s name invoked. He surely heard the stories from his father, Stanley, a running back who played with Carter at Michigan in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.

“He had some phenomenal stat where he scored a touchdown, like, every five times he caught the ball,” Edwards said. (Well, every 4.4 catches.)

“Rarely are there guys special like that. They come around once in a lifetime. Reggie Bush [the USC running back] is one of those special kinds of players. These are players that turn heads. They’re always in situations where they can win ballgames. That’s what Anthony Carter was. He was one of those special guys that the team couldn’t play without. Whenever you have a guy like A.C. on your team, you always have a chance to win the ballgame.”

So Edwards understands what it means to wear Carter’s number, which also was passed on to future NFL picks Derrick Alexander and David Terrell.

“I know who wore it, I know what it represents in Michigan football,” Edwards said. “Being able to leave my legacy in this number, it was all the more special.”

There might as well be a red “S” on the front, because “wearing this number, it makes you feel like a superhero,” he said.

Maybe that explains the two extraordinary catches he made for fourth-quarter touchdowns as the Wolverines came back from a 17-point deficit to beat Michigan State on Oct. 30.

Of all the plays Edwards made -- and with 87 receptions and 12 touchdowns this season, there were plenty -- those were the ones that everyone’s still talking about.

“It’s amazing to see some of the things he can do,” offensive lineman Matt Lentz said.

They’re NFL-type things, which is why Edwards could be the first receiver selected in the draft.

“If there’s a better deep-ball, route-runner and go-get-the-ball guy in the country today, I’d be surprised,” said Texas defensive coordinator Greg Robinson, a longtime NFL assistant coach. “He can go up and take it away when he’s not supposed to be up there doing that.”

Edwards is one of the premier playmakers in college football. And he’s here in Pasadena for his final game. Last year’s loss to USC in the Rose Bowl is one of the reasons he chose another year at Michigan, rather than an early exit for the pros.

“Being that close to a dream, it’s hard to turn back,” Edwards said. “But the Rose Bowl left a sour taste in my mouth. Plus, getting closer to getting my degree. And I wanted to complete my legacy as a Michigan football player.”

When he can go down as the best player to wear No. 1, that’s all the legacy he needs.

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J.A. Adande can be reached at j.a.adande@latimes.com. To read previous columns by Adande, go to latimes.com/adande.