Dave Edwards
Encyclopedia
David Monroe Edwards is a former American football
linebacker
for the Dallas Cowboys
of the National Football League
.
at Auburn University
, where he earned a degree in physical education. He was a two-way player at end, and won honors as an All-Southeastern Conference
.
in the 1962 American Football League Draft
, Edwards didn't play for the Broncos, instead he opted to sign with the NFL's Dallas Cowboys
as a free agent
in 1963
.
After he grew to 230 lbs, he started out on the Cowboy's taxi squad as an offensive lineman, and was later converted to an outside linebacker
.
He started as a rookie in 1963
, when Chuck Howley
was moved from strongside linebacker to weakside linebacker, because it was decided that Edwards had more upper-body strength for the position.
He teamed up with Chuck Howley
and Lee Roy Jordan
, to form one of the greatest linebacking
corps in NFL history.
He intercepted two passes on December 12, 1970
against the Cleveland Browns
, helping the Cowboys earn a 6-2 victory that sent them into the playoffs.
His teammates nicknamed him "Fuzzy".
He was strong, tough and steady throughout his eleven year career.
His strength made him a force against the run and he rarely made mistakes that could hurt his team.
He thrived against opposing tight ends, so much so, that John Madden
had his Oakland
linebackers study his technique in stopping the run while jamming the tight end
.
Edwards was a key component in the Cowboys defensive dominance during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Although overshadowed by Howley
and Jordan
, he was a great player for many years.
Edwards played in the NFL for 12 seasons and missed only 1 game during his career. He helped the Cowboys win 3 NFC
Championships and 1 Super Bowl
.
"The best thing you can say about Edwards is that he's a pro" asserts Cowboys defensive coach Ernie Stautner
. "He plays while he's hurt and he still does an outstanding job. That's what a pro is."
In 1988, Edwards was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
.
Edwards, who played in Super Bowls V
, VI
, and X
with the Cowboys, retired after the 1975 season
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
.
College career
At 6'1" and 198 lbs, Edwards played college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
, where he earned a degree in physical education. He was a two-way player at end, and won honors as an All-Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
.
Professional career
After being drafted by the Denver BroncosDenver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the 1962 American Football League Draft
1962 American Football League Draft
-Boston Patriots draft picks :-Buffalo Bills draft picks :-Dallas Texans draft picks :-Denver Broncos draft picks :-Houston Oilers draft picks :...
, Edwards didn't play for the Broncos, instead he opted to sign with the NFL's Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
in 1963
1963 NFL season
The 1963 NFL season was the 44th regular season of the National Football League. On April 17, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle indefinitely suspended Green Bay Packers running back Paul Hornung and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras for gambling on their own teams, as well as other NFL games;...
.
After he grew to 230 lbs, he started out on the Cowboy's taxi squad as an offensive lineman, and was later converted to an outside linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
.
He started as a rookie in 1963
1963 NFL season
The 1963 NFL season was the 44th regular season of the National Football League. On April 17, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle indefinitely suspended Green Bay Packers running back Paul Hornung and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras for gambling on their own teams, as well as other NFL games;...
, when Chuck Howley
Chuck Howley
Charles Louis "Chuck" Howley is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League...
was moved from strongside linebacker to weakside linebacker, because it was decided that Edwards had more upper-body strength for the position.
He teamed up with Chuck Howley
Chuck Howley
Charles Louis "Chuck" Howley is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League...
and Lee Roy Jordan
Lee Roy Jordan
Lee Roy Jordan is a retired American football linebacker. After attending the University of Alabama, playing under head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, he spent 14 years in the National Football League playing for the Dallas Cowboys between 1963–1976...
, to form one of the greatest linebacking
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
corps in NFL history.
He intercepted two passes on December 12, 1970
1970 NFL season
The 1970 NFL season was the 51st regular season of the National Football League, and the first one after the AFL-NFL Merger.The merger forced a realignment between the combined league's clubs. Because there were 16 NFL teams and 10 AFL teams, three teams needed to transfer to balance the two new...
against the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, helping the Cowboys earn a 6-2 victory that sent them into the playoffs.
His teammates nicknamed him "Fuzzy".
He was strong, tough and steady throughout his eleven year career.
His strength made him a force against the run and he rarely made mistakes that could hurt his team.
He thrived against opposing tight ends, so much so, that John Madden
John Madden (American football)
John Earl Madden is a former American professional football player in the National Football League, a former Super Bowl-winning head coach with the Oakland Raiders in the American Football League and later the NFL, and a former color commentator for NFL telecasts. In 2006, he was inducted into...
had his Oakland
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
linebackers study his technique in stopping the run while jamming the tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
.
Edwards was a key component in the Cowboys defensive dominance during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Although overshadowed by Howley
Chuck Howley
Charles Louis "Chuck" Howley is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League...
and Jordan
Lee Roy Jordan
Lee Roy Jordan is a retired American football linebacker. After attending the University of Alabama, playing under head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, he spent 14 years in the National Football League playing for the Dallas Cowboys between 1963–1976...
, he was a great player for many years.
Edwards played in the NFL for 12 seasons and missed only 1 game during his career. He helped the Cowboys win 3 NFC
NFC
NFC may refer to:* Nagacorp FC, a Cambodian sporting club* National Finance Center, a division of the United States Department of Agriculture* National Football Conference, a constituent conference of the National Football League...
Championships and 1 Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
.
"The best thing you can say about Edwards is that he's a pro" asserts Cowboys defensive coach Ernie Stautner
Ernie Stautner
-References:* * *-External links:*...
. "He plays while he's hurt and he still does an outstanding job. That's what a pro is."
In 1988, Edwards was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame is a state museum located in Birmingham, Alabama, dedicated to communicating the state’s athletic history...
.
Edwards, who played in Super Bowls V
Super Bowl V
Super Bowl V was an American football game played on January 17, 1971, at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1970 regular season...
, VI
Super Bowl VI
Super Bowl VI was an American football game played on January 16, 1972, at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1971 regular season...
, and X
Super Bowl X
Super Bowl X was an American football game played on January 18, 1976 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1975 regular season....
with the Cowboys, retired after the 1975 season
1975 NFL season
The 1975 NFL season was the 56th regular season of the National Football League. It was also the first time that featured an entire season with no games ending in a tie. The league made two significant changes to increase the appeal of the game:...
.