73 Days to Miami football: All-American DL Eddie Edwards

Eddie Edwards was an All-American defensive lineman for the Miami football team in the 1970s under head coaches Bud Elliott and Carl Selmer.

Defensive lineman Eddie Edwards was an All-American for the Miami football program in 1976. Edwards was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 1989. As a senior in 1976, Edwards averaged 13 tackles per game and added 11 sacks according to his UMSHOF profile.

Edwards and another former Miami All-American and previous Canes Warning profiled player Don Latimer were high school teammates in Fort Pierce, Florida. Following his senior season, Edwards played in the senior all-star games the Hula Bowl in Honolulu and Japan Bowl. Edwards was the third pick of the 1977 NFL Draft.

Edwards was regarded as an elite defensive lineman with size, speed, quickness and was a hard worker with pure natural ability according to his coach Hal Allen via Edwards’ UMSHOF profile. In his first two seasons playing for Miami, Edwards had at least 50 tackles per season before his breakout senior season in 1976.

Edwards spent the entirety of his 12-year NFL career with the Cincinnati Bengals. In 170 career games, Edwards had made 158 starts. Edwards finished his NFL career with an unofficial 83.5 sacks and an official 47.5 sacks. Sacks did not become an official NFL statistic until 1982.

The 47.5 sacks that Edwards officially posted stood as a Bengals record until he was passed by Carlos Dunlap in 2015. Dunlap currently has 81.5 sacks that make him on pace to pass the Edwards unofficial sack record in 2020. Edwards is one of the greatest players in Bengals’ history.

Edwards played the final game of his NFL Career in Superbowl XXXIII at Joe Robbie Stadium, now Hard Rock Stadium. Beginning his college career and finishing his NFL career in Miami brought Edwards football career full circle. Edwards is the greatest number 73 in Miami football history.