Herm Edwards – Bio, Wife, Age, Family, His NFL Coaching Records

Quick Facts

During his days as an active NFL player prior to his switch to coaching, Herm Edwards was most famous for a play in which as a Philadelphia Eagles cornerback, he recovered a fumble from Joe Pisarcik, a New York Giants quarterback at the time, to score a touchdown for the win. The play has been dubbed the “Miracle at the Meadowlands” in Philly and “The Fumble” in the Big Apple. We discuss Herm Edwards, an American football coach, and former NFL player, his life, family and work from the dugout.

Herm Edwards’ Bio, Age

Herm was born on the 27th of April, 1954 in an Army base in Fort Monmouth, New York to his parents, Herman Edwards, Sr. (father) and his mother, Martha. His father was an African American Master Sergeant in the United States Army. A veteran of World War II. His mother was German. His full name at the time of his birth was Herman Edwards Jr.

Raised as a Baptist, Edwards grew up in Seaside California and when high school time came around, he attended Monterey High School. He earned a degree in Criminal Justice from San Diego State University.

While in college, Edwards played college football at the University of California in 1972 and 1974, in 1973 at Monterey Peninsula Junior College and in his senior year in 1975, at San Diego State.

Edwards played for three teams during his playing career in the National Football League (NFL). The first of those teams was the Philadelphia Eagles. Edwards spent nine seasons with Eagles, from his debut in 1977 to his final game in 1985. In that period, he racked up as many as 135 regular season games consecutively.

In his nine years in Philly, he never missed a single game, his time with the Eagles had some special moments which include a championship appearance in Super Bowl XV, the previously referenced “Miracle of the Meadowlands” in the 1978 season amongst others. With 33 career interceptions, he is short of the franchise record by one.

His time with the Eagles did, however, come to an end when then-new incoming head coach Buddy Ryan cut him in 1986. Edwards moved on to have brief spells at the Los Angeles Rams and Atlanta Falcons in the same year, 1986. He did soon decide to call it quits on his career soon after that year.

NFL Coaching Career

By the time he was done with playing, Edwards took up a role as a defensive assistant at San Jose State from 1987 to 1989. A gig as an NFL scout was followed by working at Kansas City Chiefs as a defensive backs coach from 1990 to 1995 under coach Marty Schottenheimer. He was defensive backs coach as well as assistant coach at Tampa Bay Buccaneers under Tony Dungy from 1996 to 2000.

In January of 2001, Herm Edwards was appointed to be the head coach of the New York Jets. Edwards spent five years with the Jets and was able to compile a record of 39–41. He implemented a 4 – 3 “Cover 2” defense setup. It did not necessarily sit well with the fans but it did work, if only for a while.

In his first two years, Edwards got to the playoffs but was never really able to take it a step further, the Oakland Raiders playing their part in halting momentum. He had a 5 – 15 stretch during his final twenty games of the regular with the club. 2005 marked the end for him after a year of injuries, poor play among other issues.

Edwards departure from the Jets was far from smooth but he soon returned to coaching with the Kansas City Chiefs. He took charge in 2006 and on his coaching debut for his new team, he lost 23 -10 in a home game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

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In 2006, he won 9 games, lost 7, and tied none. By the following year, he won four games and lost 12. In 2008, his final year with the Chiefs, he won two games and lost fourteen. His total record with both teams shows him with 54 wins to 74 defeats.

After a while away from coaching, Edwards returned to be named the head coach of Arizona State football team on December 3, 2017.

Wife, Family

Herm Edwards is married to his wife, Lia Edwards. His union with Lia is blessed with two daughters, Gabrielle and Vivian. Edwards does, however, have another child from a previous relationship – a son, Marcus. Edwards is a faith-based individual who was raised Baptist but is now a practicing Roman Catholic.

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