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 American football player. He was a running back in two major leagues: the National Football League (NFL) in the United States and the Canadian Football League (CFL) in Canada.
He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs. The New England Patriots chose 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 a receiver for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Today, Robert is the head coach for the Washington County Golden Hawks high school team in Sandersville, Georgia.
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College Football Career
Robert Edwards was a key running back for the University of Georgia. When he first joined, he was recruited to play cornerback, a defensive position. He was a starter there during his second year.
After that season, he switched to playing 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.
Throughout his time in college, Robert often faced injuries. He never completed a full season because of knee problems. He also missed an entire year due to a broken hand. This allowed him to get an injury redshirt, meaning he could play an extra year later.
College Statistics
| Rushing | Receiving | Defense | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YEAR | ATT | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD | NO. | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD | TCK | SCKS | PD | INT |
| 1993 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 1994 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 4 |
| 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 | — | — | — | 4 |
Professional Playing Career
| 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) |
Playing in the NFL
The New England Patriots picked Robert Edwards in the first round of the 1998 NFL draft. In his first year, the 1998 season, he ran for 1,115 yards. However, he suffered a very serious knee injury during a flag football game in Hawaii. This happened during the week of the Pro Bowl, which is a special game for the best players.
Robert's injury was so bad that doctors thought he might not be able to walk again. They even considered removing part of his leg.
He did not play football again until the 2002 season. He made his return with the Miami Dolphins. In his first game back, against the Detroit Lions, Robert caught a touchdown pass and ran for another score. He spent the rest of that season sharing duties as a third-down running back with Travis Minor. After the season, he lost his spot on the team.
Robert Edwards received the Pro Football Writers Association Halas Award for his amazing comeback from his serious injury. He holds a special record: he scored a touchdown in each of his first six games to start his career. This included one rushing touchdown in each of those games and an extra receiving touchdown in Game 5.
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
Robert Edwards joined the Montreal Alouettes in the CFL in 2005. He was the team's top rusher, running for over 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons in Montreal. Besides being the leading rusher, he was also named a CFL Eastern Division All-Star twice, in 2005 and 2006.
On August 18, 2007, the Alouettes released Robert. The Toronto Argonauts picked him up just one day later. On January 31, 2008, the Argonauts released him.
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 | MTL | 27 | 72 | 2.7 | — | 1 | 4 | 38 | 9.5 | 13 | 0 |
| 2007 | TOR | 123 | 596 | 4.8 | — | 2 | 3 | 10 | 3.3 | 7 | 0 |
| Totals | — | 576 | 3,022 | 5.2 | — | 25 | 55 | 461 | 8.4 | 26 | 3 |
Coaching Career
In 2009, Robert Edwards returned to football as a head coach. He coached at Arlington Christian School in Fairburn, Georgia.
On April 19, 2012, Robert was announced as the new head football coach for the Greene County (Georgia) Tigers. He took over from Charlie Winslett, who is one of Georgia's most successful high school football coaches.
On January 30, 2018, he became the new Head football coach at Riverwood High School in Sandy Springs, Georgia.
In February 2022, Robert Edwards was named head coach at his old high school, Washington County High School in Sandersville, Georgia. He continues to coach there today.
