Viking Assistant Basketball Coach Jase Coburn almost didn't go out to dinner that night last June.

Eventually, though, he and his colleague Chris Skinkis found themselves having dinner in a bar downtown.  And that turned out to be a very serendipitous decision.

"This really big guy walked in. I mean, Portland's a big city, but you don't see someone that tall. We had no idea who he was. We figured he'd played his college ball and maybe was a professional player," recalled Coburn.        

They went up to talk. It turned out to be 7'1" Ryan Edwards, who said he was often approached by curious people because of his size. He just thought Coburn and Skinkis were two more of the curious.       

They chatted with Edwards for a few minutes, then returned to their table and looked him up on their phones. They discovered he'd only played three years at Gonzaga and had a year of eligibility left. Needless to say, they went back to him to talk again.      

"We asked him what he was going to do with his last year and he said he didn't want to play anymore. He really made it pretty clear he didn't want to play…so we said 'ok, if you change your mind, give us a call'," said Coburn.

From Edwards' perspective, he'd entered Gonzaga with high hopes out of Glacier High School in Kalispell, MT, where he lead his team to a 19-5 record and third straight league title as a senior. He earned Class AA All-State honors his junior and senior years.      

On one level, his hopes were realized. On another more important level they weren't.      

One of Edwards' Gonzaga teams played in the NCAA Tournament Final Four.       

"That was unbelievable. It was a very special time. Everyone covered for each other. We were a band of brothers. We bonded. It was very special," he said. "Our coach said don't let anyone get into your head. You'll be treated like superstars, be offered all sorts of free stuff. There'll be crowds everywhere, interviews. It'll be very cool."        

They saw some players from other teams affected by the celebrity status, but "I don't think the atmosphere infected any of us. We were there to play basketball and that's what we did. (Gonzaga lost to North Carolina 71-65 in last year's national championship)."     

On the other level, Edwards played his entire time at Gonzaga behind future professional players, including Domantas Sabonis, Przemek Karnowski, Kyle Wiltjer and Zach Collins, who was picked this season with the Portland Trailblazers.      

"I never played more than 10 minutes. It was really frustrating. The message I always got was 'you're not good enough to play at this level'. I got really down on myself and didn't believe in myself anymore," he said.      

Edwards didn't know what he was going to do.  From his perspective, he came to Portland for a weekend with some friends who live here and talked with a couple of guys who ended up asking if he was Ryan Edwards from Gonzaga.      

"We got to talking and they told me they were assistant coaches at Portland State and if I ever wanted to play again to give them a call."        

After thinking about it a little and talking with his parents "I decided I really did want to play. I really wanted to get another year of playing. Basketball isn't going to last forever," Edwards said.      

He dialed Coburn's number.     

"When I saw his name pop up, I thought 'ok, it's happening'," Coburn said.       

With new coach Barret Peery on board, the Vikings were looking for another big man, even though Peery's style of play emphasizes speed and quickness.     

"It's probably a little harder for Ryan with our style of play. But his skill level is so high, we were willing to sacrifice some things because we thought he'd be a very valuable player. He doesn't run or jump like maybe the other guys, but his skill level is so high he gets it done. He's a big presence in the post and he can score. He's a guy you can throw the ball to and have a good chance that he'll get a good shot at the rim," said Peery.       

And, a big presence Edwards has been. He has made 20 starts this season, averaging 8.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and ranking second in the Big Sky Conference with 39 blocked shots.      

He comes by his height honestly. Ryan's mother (Lisa) is 6'2" and his dad, Jim, is 6'7". Older brother Jeff is 6'11".      

"I grew up watching them play," he said and admitted he's always felt some competition with his dad and brother.      

At 290 pounds, Ryan also had the weight to play football in high school. He gave that a shot as a high school freshman, playing both JV and varsity football.      

"They always put me on the line and all I ever did was block. I really didn't enjoy hitting people and blocking was really boring," he said.       

As a high school freshman, Ryan was 6'8", which can be a bit intimidating to the typical high school student who really just wants to blend in.

"I just embraced the role of a big guy. But, I wasn't ever mean. I was just a big friendly guy," he said.       

And, he's still that way, according to Coburn and Peery.         

Edwards' experience and maturity have been helpful, said Peery. "He's been around a good program for four years of good basketball. With his maturity, he's also a good person."       

Coburn agreed. "He has a great personality. You can tell he's excited to play, to be part of the program."     

Joining a team as a graduate student isn't easy, said Edwards, who has a degree in Broadcasting and Public Relations from Gonzaga and has enrolled in a certificate program (which he plans to finish) to get a teaching certificate. Ultimately he'd like to coach.     

"When you come in as a fifth-year player and you're in a new city and school, it can be tough," he said. That weekend he came to Portland, he'd come to see some friends from his freshman dorm at Gonzaga who have moved to Portland. "They've been a big help," he said.    

The highlight of his year so far was a team building retreat. "It was a group of guys, all of us from different backgrounds, different situations… not like a bunch of guys who'd all started here as freshmen (counting Ryan, 12 of 15 players on this year's squad are transfers). We told our life stories, got to know each other and that made us a lot closer."       

Renewing his confidence in his abilities has led to another potential dream. Although he can't really think about it until the season is over, Edwards has his eye on playing in Europe. If that works out, he said he'd get out as much as he can… seeing other places, observing other cultures. "It'll be a once in lifetime experience," he said.       

And, there's even more serendipity to the path Edwards finds himself on.       

He and his friends had been to dinner somewhere else and just happened to decide on after dinner refreshments at the bar where Skinkis and Coburn just happened to be eating.       

"A guy walks into a bar," begins many a joke.  But, there was no punch line here. In this case, the result was a new lease on basketball life for Edwards and the Vikings, adding an important piece in a new era which began this season.