 Edwards with theToronto Argonauts in 2018 | |||||||||
| No. 10, 14 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1988-03-08)March 8, 1988 (age 37) Greenwood, South Carolina, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||
| Weight | 183 lb (83 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Greenwood | ||||||||
| College | Appalachian State (2006–2009) | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 2010: 3rd round, 89th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Career CFL statistics | |||||||||
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Armanti Fredrico Edwards Sr. (born March 8, 1988) is an American former professionalfootball player who was awide receiver in theCanadian Football League (CFL) andNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football as aquarterback for theAppalachian State Mountaineers from 2006 to 2009, and was named a 2024 inductee ofCollege Football Hall of Fame.[1] Edwards led Appalachian State to one of the biggest upsets in college football history,a 34–32 victory over then fifth-ranked Michigan in 2007. He was selected by theCarolina Panthers in the third round of the2010 NFL draft.[2] In 2017, Edwards won theGrey Cup with theToronto Argonauts. He last played for the CFL'sEdmonton Elks.
In addition to leading Appalachian State to consecutiveNCAA Division I Football Championships (FCS) in2006 and2007, Edwards became the first quarterback inSouthern Conference history to lead his team to four straight conferencechampionships.[3] He became the first quarterback inNCAADivision I history to throw for 9,000 and rush for 4,000 yards in a career, accomplishing the feat againstFurman on October 31, 2009.[4][5] Later in theseason, he would become the first quarterback to pass for over 10,000 yards and rush for an additional 4,000 yards in a career.[6] He is also the first back-to-back and two-timeWalter Payton Award winner, given to theFootball Championship Subdivision's most outstanding offensive player, receiving the award in 2008 and 2009.[7][8]
Armanti is the son of Deborah Anderson and Freddie Edwards. At birth, Edwards weighed 4 pounds 11 ounces and was delivered 10 days late.[9] In September 2006, his father, Freddie, was convicted of a 2005 murder and sentenced to 30 years in prison. The conviction however was overturned because jurors were not given the option of finding Edwards guilty of involuntary manslaughter. During a retrial that concluded in June 2011 he was again convicted of murder and again sentenced to 30 years.[9]
AtGreenwood High, under coach Shell Dula, he was named to the Greenwood Touchdown Club/Index-Journal All-Lakelands Team. Edwards originally played wide receiver, but in his senior year, he moved under center. The transition occurred late in the recruiting process, and he drew some interest fromNew Mexico State,Memphis,South Carolina, andVanderbilt. After only receiving an offer fromNew Mexico State, he decided to honor his commitment to Appalachian State, in part because they would let him stay a quarterback. Armanti Edwards graduated with a 3.3GPA.[10]
Armanti Edwards led the Mountaineers to the FCS (formerly Division I-AA)National Championship in2006 as atrue freshman, beating theMinutemen ofUMass 28–17. He finished the 2006 season with 2,251 yards and 15 touchdowns passing, and 1,153 yards and 15 touchdowns rushing. Edwards joined a select list as the fifthDivision I player (Missouri'sBrad Smith and Texas'sVince Young are among the others), and second freshman, to accomplish the feat of 2000 passing yards and 1000 rushing yards in one season.[11] Edwards was named theSouthern Conference Freshman of the Year at the end of the season.[12]
Edwards started the2007 season by guiding Appalachian State to a34–32 upset victory overfifth-rankedMichigan of the Football Bowl Subdivision on September 1, in a game that was named the "Biggest Upset of 2007" bySports Illustrated.[13] In the game, Edwards threw for 227 yards and three touchdowns while also totaling 62 yards and a touchdown on the ground. On December 7, in a semifinal playoff game againstRichmond, Edwards set the single game FCS rushing record for a quarterback, rushing for 313 yards and 4 touchdowns on 31 carries.[14] He also completed 14-of-16 passes for 192 yards and 3 touchdowns. Edwards had been mentioned as a possible candidate for theHeisman Trophy in the 2008 season.[15] Edwards established himself as a threat through the air and along the ground, and garnered elite status within the division. He and the Mountaineers won a third consecutive national championship, beating theDelawareFightin' Blue Hens, 49–21, in thechampionship game on December 14. He outplayed futureBaltimore Ravens quarterbackJoe Flacco in that game.[16]
The Mountaineers began the2008 campaign against theLSU Tigers, the first time defending FBS and FCS champions have met to open the season.[17] However, LSU prevailed 41–13, with Edwards accounting for 216 of Appalachian State's 472 total yards. Edwards accounted for 440 yards of total offense, becoming the Southern Conference's all-time leader in yards with a 70–24 victory over theWofford Terriers on October 31.[18] On November 15, the Mountaineers clinched theSouthern Conference championship, joiningWest Virginia (1953–56),Furman (1980–83) andGeorgia Southern (1997–2002) as the only programs to win four straight titles, with a 24–16 victory over theElon Phoenix.[19] In his 36th career start, he became the 26th FCS player in history to surpass 10,000 yards of career total offense in Appalachian's win overSouth Carolina State in the First Round of the 2008playoffs.[20] He was named the 2008 Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Year,[21] and was the winner of the 2008Walter Payton Award, given to the top FCS offensive player.[22][23] Edwards threw a career-worst 5 interceptions in a quarterfinal loss to eventual tournament winner, Richmond, denying Appalachian State their 4th consecutive FCS championship.[24]
Before the start of theseason, Edwards was involved in alawn mowing accident, resulting in a trip to the hospital where he was treated and released.[25] The injury sidelined him for the season opener against theEast Carolina Pirates, a game which the Mountaineers would lose 29–24. With a 27–10 victory over Elon on November 14, Edwards became the only quarterback in conference history to win four consecutive championships.[3] Edwards's college football career ended on December 12 in aplayoff semi-final game against theMontana Grizzlies. The 24–17 loss was the highest rated FCS postseason game ever broadcast according toNielsen and the NCAA.[26] The following day, Edwards graduated after just three and a half years with a degree ingraphic arts. On December 17, in a landslide victory, Edwards received theWalter Payton Award making him the first ever two-time recipient of the award.[7] On August 24, 2023, Appalachian State announced it would be retiring Edwards No. 14 jersey number.[27]
| Season | Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rating | Comp | Att | % | Yards | TD | INT | Att | Yards | Avg | TD | |||
| 2006 | 15 | 13 | 140.72 | 167 | 274 | 60.9 | 2,251 | 15 | 10 | 188 | 1,153 | 6.1 | 15 | ||
| 2007 | 11 | 11 | 159.34 | 148 | 222 | 66.7 | 1,948 | 17 | 7 | 237 | 1,588 | 6.7 | 21 | ||
| 2008 | 13 | 13 | 170.20 | 196 | 306 | 64.1 | 2,902 | 30 | 9 | 193 | 941 | 4.9 | 11 | ||
| 2009 | 12 | 12 | 147.90 | 257 | 378 | 68.0 | 3,291 | 12 | 7 | 137 | 679 | 5.0 | 18 | ||
| Totals | 51 | 49 | 154.54 | 768 | 1,180 | 65.1 | 10,392 | 74 | 33 | 755 | 4,361 | 5.8 | 65 | ||
* – Unanimous selection
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft10+7⁄8 in (1.80 m) | 187 lb (85 kg) | 32+1⁄4 in (0.82 m) | 9+1⁄2 in (0.24 m) | 4.41 s | 1.53 s | 2.50 s | 4.19 s | 6.74 s | 34.5 in (0.88 m) | 10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) | 13 reps | |
| All values fromNFL Combine/Pro Day[40][41] | ||||||||||||
Edwards was selected in the third round, pick #89, of the 2010 draft by theCarolina Panthers.[42][43] Edwards could see the field at a variety of positions includingwide receiver,kickoff returner, and quarterback in thewildcat formation. He was first activated in the 2010 season for the October 10 game against theChicago Bears. After a 34–3 loss against New Orleans and the loss ofMatt Moore to the injured reserve list, CoachJohn Fox hinted that Edwards would see more snaps at quarterback in practice. Edwards was named the emergency/third quarterback for the first time before the November 14 game atTampa Bay, but did not see any game action. On December 12, Edwards featured at quarterback for one snap against theAtlanta Falcons completing a pass to fellow rookieDavid Gettis for no gain.
He received very little playing time during the following season. The Panthers released Edwards on October 8, 2013.[44]
TheCleveland Browns signed Edwards on October 31, 2013.[45] He was placed on the team'sinjured reserve on November 20.[46] On December 23, Edwards was released by the team with an injury settlement.[47]
Edwards signed with theChicago Bears on June 3, 2014.[48] He was released by the team during final cuts on August 29, 2014.[49]
On February 24, 2016, it was announced that Edwards had signed with theSaskatchewan Roughriders of theCanadian Football League.[50]
On May 27, 2017, Edwards was traded from the Roughriders to theToronto Argonauts in exchange for offensive lineman,Peter Dyakowski.[51] Edwards had a breakout season in2017 for the Argos, playing in all but one regular season game, catching 83 passes for 962 yards with four touchdowns. In the playoffs he caught seven passes for 56 yards en route to winning the105th Grey Cup. In January 2018 Edwards and the Argos agreed to a new two-year contract.[52] Edwards finished 2018 with a similar statistical line as 2017, with 4 receiving touchdowns and coming up just shy of 1,000 yards; however, the Argos went from first to worst, following up their 2017 championship with a league worst 4–14 record for 2018. 2019 saw the Argonauts with the same record, but Edwards eclipsed the 1,000 mark for the first time, and caught seven touchdowns. He became a free agent once his contract expired on February 11, 2020.
Edwards signed with theXFL'sTeam 9practice squad on February 19, 2020.[53] He was signed off of Team 9 by theDallas Renegades on February 25, 2020.[54] He had his contract terminated when the league suspended operations on April 10, 2020.[55]
On April 10, 2020, it was announced that Edwards had signed with theEdmonton Eskimos.[56] He played in six games for the renamedEdmonton Elks in 2021 and was released on December 28, 2021.[57]
| Year | Team | GP | GS | Passing | Receiving | Rushing | Kickoff returns | Punt returns | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Sck | Rate | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Ret | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Ret | RetY | Avg | Lng | TD | ||||
| 2010 | CAR | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 79.6 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 7 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | CAR | 16 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 100 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 112.5 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 35 | 11.7 | 17 | 0 | 32 | 176 | 5.5 | 17 | 0 |
| 2012 | CAR | 16 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39.6 | 5 | 121 | 24.2 | 82 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | 12 | 260 | 21.7 | 35 | 0 | 2 | 77 | 38.5 | 69 | 0 |
| 2013 | CAR | 4 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2013 | CLE | 2 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | 4 | 28 | 7.0 | 12 | 0 |
| Total | 41 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 66.7 | 11 | 3.7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 72.9 | 6 | 131 | 21.8 | 82 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 4.0 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 295 | 19.7 | 35 | 0 | 40 | 281 | 7.0 | 69 | 0 | |
Regular season:
| Receiving | Punt return | Rushing | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Ret | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Car | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD |
| 2016 | SSK | 4 | 19 | 231 | 12.2 | 46 | 1 | 7 | 56 | 8.0 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | 6 | 1 |
| 2017 | TOR | 17 | 83 | 962 | 11.6 | 44 | 4 | 12 | 66 | 5.5 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | TOR | 18 | 73 | 974 | 13.3 | 69 | 4 | 4 | 32 | 8.0 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 31 | 7.8 | 19 | 0 |
| 2019 | TOR | 17 | 69 | 1,014 | 14.7 | 55 | 7 | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | 8 | 0 |
| 2021 | EDM | 7 | 16 | 157 | 9.8 | 45 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals: | 60 | 260 | 3,338 | 13.8 | 69 | 16 | 24 | 164 | 6.8 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 54 | 6.8 | 19 | 1 | |
