Braylon Edwards facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Braylon Edwards

Edwards with the New York Jets in 2009
No. 17
Position:	Wide receiver
Personal information
Born:	(1983-02-21) February 21, 1983 (age 42) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:	214 lb (97 kg)
Career information
High school:	Bishop Gallagher (Harper Woods, Michigan)
College:	Michigan (2001–2004)
NFL Draft:	2005 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3
Career history
Cleveland Browns (2005) New York Jets (2009) San Francisco 49ers (2011) Seattle Seahawks (2012) New York Jets (2012)
Career highlights and awards
Second-team All-Pro (2007) Pro Bowl (2007) Biletnikoff Award (2004) Paul Warfield Trophy (2004) Unanimous All-American (2004) Big Ten Most Valuable Player (2004) Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year (2004) 2× First-team All-Big Ten (2003, 2004) Second-team All-Big Ten (2002)
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 359 Receiving yards: 5,522 Receiving touchdowns: 40
Player stats at PFR

Braylon Jamel Edwards (born February 21, 1983) is a former American football player. He played the wide receiver position in the National Football League (NFL). In college, he was a star player for the Michigan Wolverines. He won the Biletnikoff Award in 2004, which is given to the best college receiver in the country.

Edwards holds the all-time records at the University of Michigan for the most catches, receiving yards, and touchdowns. He was the first wide receiver in the history of the Big Ten Conference to have three straight seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards. In the 2005 NFL draft, the Cleveland Browns chose him with the third overall pick. He also played for the New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, and Seattle Seahawks.

Early Life and High School

Edwards was born in Detroit, Michigan. He went to Bishop Gallagher High School, where he was a standout football player. In his three years on the team, he played several different positions. As a receiver, he caught 63 passes for 740 yards and scored eight touchdowns.

College Football Career

Edwards chose to attend the University of Michigan, just like his father, Stan Edwards. He played for the Michigan Wolverines football from 2001 to 2004 under coach Lloyd Carr.

Edwards playing in the 2005 Rose Bowl

A Record-Breaking Senior Year

In his final year at Michigan in 2004, Edwards had an amazing season. He set new school records for the most catches in a season (97) and the most receiving yards (1,330). By the end of his college career, he had set Michigan records for:

• Total catches: 252
• Total receiving yards: 3,541
• Total touchdowns: 39 (which was also a Big Ten record)

He also set a school record for the most games with 100 or more receiving yards, achieving this 17 times.

Awards and Recognition

After his incredible senior season, Edwards received many awards. He won the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the best receiver in the nation. He was also named the Big Ten Conference's most valuable player and was a unanimous first-team All-American, meaning all major sports writers agreed he was the best at his position.

Edwards is one of only three players in NCAA history to have over 1,000 receiving yards in three years in a row. He ended his college career with a fantastic performance in the 2005 Rose Bowl, where he caught three touchdown passes.

College Statistics

This table shows his receiving stats for each year he played at Michigan.

• Rec = Receptions (catches)
• Yds = Yards
• Avg = Average yards per catch
• TD = Touchdowns

Success in Track and Field

Besides football, Edwards was also a talented track and field athlete at Michigan. He was a fast runner, competing in the 60-meter, 100-meter, and 200-meter dashes. He was also a skilled high jumper, with a personal best jump of 2.11 meters (about 6 feet 11 inches).

Professional NFL Career

Cleveland Browns (2005–2009)

Edwards at the Browns training camp in 2008.

The Cleveland Browns selected Edwards with the third overall pick in the 2005 NFL draft. In his first season, he had 512 receiving yards and three touchdowns before a knee injury ended his year.

After recovering, Edwards had a good season in 2006 with 884 yards and six touchdowns. But his best year came in 2007. He had a breakout season with 1,289 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns. His performance earned him a spot in the Pro Bowl, an all-star game for the NFL's best players. He was the first Browns receiver to make the Pro Bowl since 1989.

The 2008 season was more difficult for Edwards and the Browns. He caught only three touchdown passes that year.

New York Jets (2009–2010)

Edwards celebrates a touchdown with his teammate Damien Woody.

On October 7, 2009, Edwards was traded to the New York Jets. He said he was looking for a "fresh start." In his first season with the Jets, he helped the team reach the AFC Championship game. In that game, he caught an 80-yard touchdown pass.

In 2010, Edwards had another strong season with the Jets, catching 53 passes for 904 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Later Career

After his time with the Jets, Edwards played for a few other teams.

• San Francisco 49ers (2011): He signed a one-year contract and started five games.
• Seattle Seahawks (2012): He signed a one-year deal with the Seahawks.
• New York Jets (2012): He returned to the Jets to finish the 2012 season. He signed again for the 2013 season but was released before it began.

NFL Career Statistics

This table shows his stats for every season he played in the NFL.

Helping Students Go to College

In 2007, Edwards made a generous promise to 100 high school students in Cleveland. He said that if they kept a grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or higher and did 15 hours of community service, he would pay for their college tuition. This amazing offer was valued at $1 million.

In 2011, Edwards kept his promise. Through his foundation's "ADVANCE 100 Program," he gave 101 students scholarships of $10,000 each. He said he hoped the students would one day "pay it forward" by helping someone else.

Life After Football

After retiring from the NFL, Edwards began a new career as a television analyst for the Big Ten Network in 2017. He later had a public disagreement with Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and made some critical comments online about the team. Today, he works at the Woodward Sports Network.

Because of his incredible football career in Michigan, Edwards was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame on October 17, 2024.

See also

• Lists of Michigan Wolverines football receiving leaders

Images for kids

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  Edwards visiting Marines in 2009.