Place of birth: Mold, Washington Name Turk Edwards Weight 116 kg | Height: 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Positions Tackle High school: Clarkston (WA) | |
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Date of birth: (1907-09-28)September 28, 1907 Date of death: January 12, 1973(1973-01-12) (aged 65) Role American football head coach Died January 12, 1973, Seattle, Washington, United States Education Washington State University Past teams coached Washington Redskins (1946–1948) | ||
Place of death: Seattle, Washington | ||
Albert Glen "Turk" Edwards (September 28, 1907 – January 12, 1973) was an American football tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played his entire career for, and later became the head coach of, the Washington Redskins. Edwards was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1969.
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College career
Edwards attended and played college football at Washington State University from 1929 to 1931. He helped lead the Cougars to a 9–0 record during the 1930 season and gained an invitation to the 1931 Rose Bowl. Edwards, along with Mel Hein, became the first All-Americans selected from Washington State. He was a member of the Alpha Omicron Chapter of Theta Chi Fraternity while at Washington State University.
Professional career
After finishing college, Edwards received offers from three NFL franchises, the recently created Boston Braves, the New York Giants, and the Portsmouth Spartans. He chose the highest bid: $1,500 for 10 games from the Braves, a team that would later become the Boston Redskins and then move to Washington, D.C. in 1937.
Edwards played for the Braves/Redskins for nine seasons, winning All-NFL honors from major media outlets every year of his career except his last one.
Edwards sustained a career-ending injury during a coin-tossing ceremony prior to a game against the New York Giants in 1940. After calling the coin toss and shaking hands with college teammate Mel Hein (the Giants' captain), Edwards attempted to pivot around to head back to his sideline. However, his cleats caught in the grass and his oft-injured knee gave way, ending his season and ultimately his career.
Edwards was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1969, which he described as "certainly the greatest honor." He was introduced at the ceremony by Mel Hein, who said, "The thing I'll remember most about Turk Edwards is that he was a true sportsman, a true gentleman and still is."
Coaching career
Edwards continued with the Redskins as an assistant coach from 1941 to 1945 and then as the head coach from 1946 to 1948. After 17 consecutive seasons with the Redskins, Edwards retired from professional football.
After football
After retiring from football, Edwards returned to the Pacific Northwest and sold sporting goods out of a store in Seattle's University District. In 1961, he moved to Kelso, Washington, where he spent 12 years working in the Cowlitz County assessor's office. Edwards died on January 12, 1973 after a long illness.