Everette Pedescleaux comes back from ACL injury

Everette Pedescleaux, a talented two-sport athlete from Plymouth (MN) Robbinsdale Armstrong, signed with the Gophers on a football scholarship with the intention to play basketball. Unfortunately, he suffered a torn ACL on his left knee during a high school All-Star Game. Due to the injury, Pedescleaux will not enroll full-time at the “U” until January. GoldenSports.Net caught up with Pedescleaux to find the latest on his status.

Everette Pedescleaux originally committed to Northern Iowa for basketball, picking the Panthers over Tulsa. However, Pedescleaux did not sign a letter of intent in the early signing period. This was due to him questioning whether or not to play both basketball and football in college. Pedescleaux helped lead the Falcons to the Class 5A semifinals, where they lost to eventual state champs Lakeville 38-28.

Pedescleaux considered Creighton, Dayton, Illinois State, Montana State, New Mexico, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois, Toledo, Tulsa and Wisconsin-Green Bay for basketball. He visited Wisconsin-Green Bay Sept. 6, Tulsa on Sept. 13, Southern Illinois on Sept. 20 and Dayton Sept. 27 before committing to Northern Iowa, which signed AAU teammate Eric Coleman.

Pedescleaux shined last summer as a member of the Howard Pulley Panthers AAU team. He scored 18 points to help the Panthers' 17-and-under basketball team defeat the Illinois Warriors 70-66 in the Price Chopper Kansas City Prep Invitational championship. The Panthers finished 6-0 in the event.

He is also an outstanding football recruit as well. Minnesota, Kansas State and Connecticut offered him a football scholarship and Wisconsin had expressed interest. Pedescleaux finished with 65 carries for 324 yards and nine touchdowns. He grabbed six passes for 58 yards and two scores. Pedescleaux was named first team Star Tribune All-Metro and AP All-State team as a defensive end.

Pedescleaux said that he started to think about playing college football more after a strong senior season as he led the Falcons to a 11-2 season and took a visit to the Gopher-Wisconsin game.

Pedescleaux played fullback, tight end and defensive end, but the Gophers looked at him more as a tight end or passing rushing defensive end.

Pedescleaux led Armstrong to a 22-7 mark in basketball this past season, losing to St. Paul Johnson 75-56 in the quarterfinals of the Minnesota boy's state high school basketball tournament at the Target Center. He was the lone double-figure scorer for Armstrong as he finished with 27 points, 12 rebounds and six blocked shots. He made 9 of 15 shots from the field and 9 of 11 from the line.

Pedescleaux told me that he is currently attending class part-time and will enroll full-time in January. This will allow him to not use a year of eligibility. He underwent surgery three weeks ago and appeared to be in good shape. He said that he currently weighed 253 pounds.