Robert Edwards (gridiron football) facts for kids
| Washington County High School | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Head coach | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | October 2, 1974 Tennille, Georgia, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 218 lb (99 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Washington County (Sandersville, Georgia) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Georgia | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1998 / Round: 1 / Pick: 18 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| As coach: | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Career CFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Robert Lee Edwards, III (born October 2, 1974) is a former professional football player from the United States. He played as a running back in both the National Football League (NFL) and the Canadian Football League (CFL). Robert is well-known for his amazing comeback after a serious injury.
He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs. The New England Patriots picked him in the first round of the 1998 NFL draft. Robert also played for the Miami Dolphins in the NFL. Later, he moved to the CFL, playing for the Montreal Alouettes and the Toronto Argonauts.
Robert is the older brother of Terrence Edwards, who was also a football player. Today, Robert is the head coach for the Washington County Golden Hawks high school team in Sandersville, Georgia.
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Robert's College Football Journey
Robert Edwards was a key running back for the University of Georgia. When he first joined, he was a cornerback, playing that position for two years. After that, he switched to running back.
As a running back, he set a record for the Georgia Bulldogs. He scored five touchdowns in one game against the University of South Carolina.
Robert faced some injuries during his college years. He had knee problems and even missed a whole year because of a broken hand. This allowed him to get an injury redshirt, meaning he didn't lose a year of eligibility.
College Stats
Here are some of Robert's college football statistics:
| Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YEAR | ATT | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD | NO. | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD |
| 1995 | 45 | 325 | 7.2 | 65 | 6 | 2 | 42 | 21.0 | 45 | 1 |
| 1996 | 184 | 809 | 4.4 | 32 | 9 | 23 | 199 | 8.7 | 34 | 1 |
| 1997 | 165 | 1200 | 5.5 | 80 | 12 | 23 | 214 | 9.3 | 27 | 1 |
| Totals | 394 | 2334 | 5.2 | 80 | 27 | 48 | 455 | 9.5 | 45 | 3 |
Playing in the NFL
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 11+1⁄2 in (1.82 m) |
218 lb (99 kg) |
31+1⁄2 in (0.80 m) |
8+3⁄4 in (0.22 m) |
The New England Patriots chose Robert Edwards in the first round of the 1998 NFL draft. In his first year, the 1998 NFL season, he ran for an impressive 1,115 yards.
However, a very serious knee injury happened during a flag football game in Hawaii. This was during the Pro Bowl week. The injury was so bad that doctors thought he might not walk again. They even considered removing his leg below the knee.
An Incredible Comeback
Robert did not play football again until the 2002 season. He made his return with the Miami Dolphins. In his first game back, he caught a touchdown pass and ran for another score. This was against the Detroit Lions.
He spent the rest of that season sharing duties as a third-down running back. After the season, he lost his spot on the team. For his amazing comeback from such a serious injury, Robert received the Pro Football Writers Association Halas Award.
Robert holds a special record: he scored a touchdown in each of his first six NFL games. This happened during his rookie season with the Patriots.
NFL Stats
Here are Robert's NFL statistics:
| Rushing | Receiving | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YEAR | TEAM | ATT | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD | NO. | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD |
| 1998 | NE | 291 | 1,115 | 3.8 | 53 | 9 | 35 | 331 | 9.5 | 46 | 3 |
| 2002 | MIA | 20 | 107 | 5.4 | 19 | 1 | 18 | 126 | 7.0 | 14 | 1 |
| Totals | — | 311 | 1,222 | 3.9 | 53 | 10 | 53 | 457 | 8.6 | 46 | 4 |
Playing in the CFL
In 2005, Robert Edwards joined the Montreal Alouettes in the CFL. He was the team's top rusher, running for over 1,000 yards in his first two seasons there.
He was also named a CFL Eastern Division All-Star twice. This happened in 2005 and 2006. On August 18, 2007, the Alouettes released him. The Toronto Argonauts picked him up just one day later.
On January 31, 2008, the Argonauts released Robert.
CFL Stats
Here are Robert's CFL statistics:
| Rushing | Receiving | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YEAR | TEAM | ATT | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD | NO. | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD |
| 2005 | MTL | 187 | 1,199 | 6.4 | 37 | 8 | 21 | 202 | 9.6 | 24 | 0 |
| 2006 | MTL | 239 | 1,137 | 4.8 | — | 14 | 27 | 211 | 7.8 | 26 | 3 |
| 2007 | TOR | 123 | 596 | 4.8 | — | 2 | 3 | 10 | 3.3 | 7 | 0 |
| 2007 | MTL | 27 | 72 | 2.7 | — | 1 | 4 | 38 | 9.5 | 13 | 0 |
| Totals | — | 576 | 3,022 | 5.2 | — | 25 | 55 | 461 | 8.4 | 26 | 3 |
Robert's Coaching Career
After his playing career, Robert Edwards became a football coach. In 2009, he became the head coach at Arlington Christian School in Fairburn, Georgia.
On April 19, 2012, Robert was named the new head football coach for the Greene County (Georgia) Tigers. He took over from Charlie Winslett, a very successful high school coach.
On January 30, 2018, he became the new Head football coach at Riverwood High School in Sandy Springs, Georgia.
In February 2022, Robert was named head coach at his old high school, Washington County High School in Sandersville, Georgia.
