Truman Welcomes Former NFL Head Coach Herman Edwards April 12

Herman Edwards, the former head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, and current NFL analyst for ESPN, will visit Truman April 12 as part of the Holman Family Distinguished Speakers Series.

Passionate, enthusiastic, motivational and energetic are all words used to describe Edwards. Although most know him for his time as a successful former NFL player, NFL coach and current in-studio NFL analyst for ESPN, Edwards is also known for being a positive role model and using motivation as a tool for a call to action.

Edwards will take the stage at 8 p.m. April 12 in Baldwin Hall Auditorium to talk about the need to create a life plan, the importance of service and giving back to your community and having integrity in everything you do. Edward’s will talk about how we are a collection of our choices and we must set goals and then have a plan of action to accomplish those goals.

Edwards and his wife Lia are involved in numerous charitable efforts and philanthropic endeavors in their home base of Kansas City, including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the Boys and Girls Clubs. Edwards was named Big Brother of the Year by the Catholic Big Brothers for Boys and Girls in New York, and he has also participated in the All Pro Dad initiative, a parenting program that has received national recognition. In 1985, he founded the Herm Edwards Youth Foundation, and in May 2011, he brought The Herm Edwards Youth Football Camp to Kansas City.

Edwards started his career in the NFL with a 10-year professional playing career from 1977-1986. The first nine of those seasons were with the Philadelphia Eagles. In 1980 his role on the defense earned him All-NFC honors and helped boost the team to a berth in Super Bowl XV.

Following his playing career, Edwards coached defensive backs at the collegiate level. From 1992-1994 he coached defensive backs with the Kansas City Chiefs, and spent an additional year as a pro personnel scout with the team before joining coach Tony Dungy’s staff in Tampa Bay in 1996.

In 2001, Edwards departed Tampa Bay to become the head coach of the New York Jets. He led the team to the postseason in his first campaign with the squad, and would be on the sideline for a total of five playoff contests with the team.

Edwards returned to Kansas City in 2006, this time as the head coach. He would repeat the success he had with the Jets, taking the Chiefs to the playoffs in their first season under his leadership.

In 2013, Edwards joined elite company as a recipient of the Walter Camp Man of the Year Award. Other notable marks in his career include speaking at the NFL Rookie Symposium and being featured on ESPN’s “Back to School” segment in which he returned to his high school alma mater to coach for a day. Most recently, Edwards was named the Team ESPN 2013 Commentator of the Year.

Complimentary tickets for this event may be picked up at Truman’s Information Desk or the Student Activities Board Office, both located in the Student Union Building. Tickets may also be picked up in the Public Relations Office, McClain Hall 202, or at Edna Cambells in downtown Kirksville. For more information, contact pr@truman.edu or call 660.785.4016.

His visit to Truman is sponsored by the Holman Family Distinguished Speakers Series Endowment.