Edwards playing on big stage
It was hard to be a fan of both the Seattle Seahawks and the Carolina Panthers Saturday.
Due to proximity of location, the Seahawks are considered by many in Montana to be somewhat of a home team. The team’s back-to-back Super Bowl appearances the previous two years has deepened that allegiance.
But for Columbus, there was an actual hometown boy in that play-off game Saturday on the opposite side of the football. Columbus High School graduate Dwan Edwards is a defensive tackle for the 15-1 Panthers. In the second half of the game, when Seattle was making a furious comeback following a scoreless first half, Edwards recorded a sack of quarterback Russell Wilson.
This weekend Edwards and the Panthers face the Arizona Cardinals this weekend in the NFC championship game.
At 6-foot-3-inches and 305 pounds, Edwards is a force to be reckoned with on the field. He has recorded 14 tackles and one sack during the 2015 season. This is his 12th year in the NFL, which includes 347 tackles, 19.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and three interceptions, according to NFL.com.
Impressive NFL Career
Edwards, 34, graduated from CHS as a three-sport athlete and the senior class president. He played college football at Oregon State University and graduated with a degree in business administration in 2003. While there he was a two-time All-PAC conference selection.
In 2004 he was drafted in the second round by Baltimore and made his first career start the following year, notching eight tackles in that game alone, according to NFL statistics. In 2007 Edwards had 58 tackles, one interception, one pass defense and his first quarterback sack.
He was on injured reserve for the entire 2008 season due to a back injury suffered during preseason but came roaring back in 2009 with 50 tackles, one sack, two fumble recoveries and one pass defensed. In the post-season that year Edwards scored a touchdown after recovering a fumble by New England Patriot quarterback Tom Brady in the end zone.
In 2010 Edwards was signed to the Buffalo Bills where he recorded 57 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, one interception and two passes defensed. In 2011, he ranked sixth among American Football Conference defensive tackles with 52 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
He moved to the Carolina Panthers in 2012 as a free agent after being released by Buffalo in the final roster cutdown. Edwards ranked third among NFL defensive tackles with six sacks, 56 tackles, eight quarterback pressures, one forced fumble and three passes defensed.
The 2013 season brought 20 tackles, 15 quarterback pressures, two fumble recoveries and time on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury. He was back for the postseason where he had four sacks and two fumble recoveries.
In 2016 Edwards had four sacks and ranked third on the team with 15 quarterback pressures, 39 tackles, one interception and one pass defensed. In the postseason he had 6.4 sacks and an interception.