Biography of Herman Edwards

Affectionately known as the Energizer Bunny of the NFL, Coach Herman Edwards is a perpetual motion machine, a breath of fresh air who used his boundless energy and talent for combining hard work with good fun.

Herman Edwards was born on the Fort Monmouth Army Base in Eatontown, New Jersey. He is a former professional football player and the current head football coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. He is the son of an African-American World War II veteran and his German war bride. Edwards played college football at the University of California in 1972 and 1974, at Monterey Peninsula Junior College in 1973 and at San Diego State in his senior year, 1975. He graduated from the latter with a degree in criminal justice.

In the NFL, Edwards played nine seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, beginning in 1977, at the position of cornerback. His 33 career interceptions are just one short of the franchise record. He appeared in 135 consecutive regular-season games for the Eagles, and then played briefly for the Los Angeles Rams and Atlanta Falcons before announcing his retirement.

After his days as a player ended, Edwards became an assistant coach at San Jose State. He was an NFL assistant coach with the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before being hired as the Jets' 13th non-interim head coach in franchise history. He is the first coach from the NFL's Minority Coaching Fellowship to become a head coach in the NFL.

Taking over a losing franchise, he led the Jets to back-to-back play-off appearances in 2001 and 2002, and became the first coach in team history with playoff berths in his first two seasons. "You Play to Win the Game" is the rallying cry of the comeback New York Jets and their visionary coach, Herman Edwards. Now, in his leadership playbook, You Play to Win the Game, co-authored with Shelley Smith, Edwards shares the wisdom and insight he counts on to motivate and sustain himself, his team, and the thousands he has inspired. In writing this book, Edwards turned to his personal bible--a favorite black notebook filled with life lessons he has collected over the years from the people he has admired and respected the most. Here, with his signature one-of-a-kind style, he distills these philosophies and beliefs into wise and witty "Winning Points."

Herman Edwards is a strong proponent of being a positive role model and is one of the NFL’s most active participants in off-the-field outreach programs. In 2002, he was served as a national spokesperson for the National Sportsmanship Day, an event promoted through the Institute for International Sport, which serves as a forum for students, teachers, coaches, parents and fans to discuss pertinent issues of ethics, fair play and sportsmanship. When he was with Tampa Bay, Edwards and the Buccaneers' secondary implemented a youth enrichment program called "Focus and Finish," in which they encouraged high school athletes to excel in academics, athletics and as citizens in their communities through volunteering, tutoring and mentoring.

Edwards and his wife, Lia, work closely with the American Diabetes Association chapter in New York City. The One Hundred Black Men, Inc. and The Association For a Better New York also recognized him in 2003 for his outstanding contributions to society. Additionally, Edwards was named the recipient of the New York Sports Award as the area's Coach of the Year in 2002 and was named to the Positive Coaching Alliance's National Advisory Committee in the spring of 2003. Edwards will help spread the organization's message to preserve the "purity of the game of football" and to coach in a positive manner. Head Coach Herman Edwards received the Big Brother of the Year award by the Catholic Big Brothers for Boys and Girls in June 2002.

A frequent motivational speaker, Herman Edwards espouses the power of positive thinking, teamwork, family values and religion in his speeches.

Most Requested Topics:

You Play to Win the Game

Volunteerism

Youth