Turk Edwards

{{Short description|American football player and coach (1907–1973)}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Turk Edwards

| image = Turk Edwards 1935.jpg

| caption =

| number = 17

| position = Tackle

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1907|9|28|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Mold, Washington, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1973|1|10|1907|9|28|mf=y}}

| death_place = Kirkland, Washington, U.S.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=z6dYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pfgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3734%2C3668505 |work=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=(Washington) |agency=Associated Press |title=Ex-Cougar star succumbs |date=January 12, 1973 |page=19}}

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 2

| weight_lbs = 255

| high_school = Clarkston (WA)

| college = Washington State

| pastteams =

Boston Braves / Redskins / Washington Redskins ({{NFL Year|1932}}–{{NFL Year|1940}})

| pastcoaching =

Washington Redskins (assistant) ({{NFL Year|1941}}–{{NFL Year|1945}})
Washington Redskins (head coach) ({{NFL Year|1946}}–{{NFL Year|1948}})

| highlights =

NFL champion (1937)
3× First-team All-Pro (1934, 1936, 1937)
NFL All-Star (1939)
NFL 1930s All-Decade Team
70 Greatest Redskins
First-team All-American (1930)
2× First-team All-PCC (1930, 1931)

| HOF = albert-glen-turk-edwards

| CollegeHOF = 1530

| statseason =

| statlabel1 = Games played

| statvalue1 = 86

| statlabel2 = Starts

| statvalue2 = 77

| statlabel3 = Touchdowns

| statvalue3 = 2

| statlabel4 = Head coaching record

| statvalue5 = 16–18–1

| pfr = E/EdwaTu20

}}

Albert Glen "Turk" Edwards (September 28, 1907 – January 10, 1973) was an American professional football player who was a tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played his entire career for the Washington Redskins, starting with their first six seasons in Boston, and later became the head coach. Edwards was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1969.

College career

After graduation from high school in 1928 in Clarkston, Washington, Edwards played college football at Washington State College in nearby Pullman from 1929 to 1931. He helped lead the Cougars to a {{nowrap|9–0}} record during the 1930 season and an invitation to the {{nowrap|Rose Bowl}} on {{nowrap|New Year's Day.{{College Football HoF|id=1530|name=Turk Edwards|accessdate=2008-06-15}}}} Edwards and teammate {{nowrap|Mel Hein}} became the first All-Americans from Washington State.

He was a member of the Alpha Omicron chapter of Theta Chi fraternity while in college.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=887nAAAAMAAJ|title=The Rattle of Theta Chi|date=1932|publisher=Theta Chi Fraternity Inc|language=en}} The nickname "Turk" was given to him by head coach {{nowrap|Babe Hollingbery.}}

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.{{cite web | work=How Stuff Works | url=http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/turk-edwards-at.htm | title=Turk Edwards | access-date=2008-06-15 | archive-date=2008-02-21 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080221161213/http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/turk-edwards-at.htm | url-status=dead }} 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.{{cite web | work=Pro Football Hall of Fame | url=http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.aspx?PlayerId=62 | title=Turk Edwards' HOF Profile | access-date=2008-06-15}}

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."{{cite news|title=Five New Members Join Pro Grid Hall Of Fame|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1817&dat=19690913&id=QhwoAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DJwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7242,2794763&hl=en|access-date=October 7, 2016|work=The Tuscaloosa News|agency=Associated Press|date=September 14, 1969|page=17}}

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 operated a sporting goods store in Seattle's University District. In 1961, he moved to Kelso, where he spent 11 years working in the Cowlitz County {{nowrap|assessor's office.}}

Death

After a long illness, Edwards died at age 65 at his Kirkland home on {{nowrap|January 10, 1973.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GbBfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3zIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3145%2C2663270 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho)|title='Turk' Edwards, ex-WSU, Clarkston great, dies |date=January 14, 1973 |page=14}}{{cite web | work=Sports Press NW | url=http://sportspressnw.com/2142607/2012/wayback-machine-hollingbery-hein-edwards | title=Wayback Machine: Hollingbery, Hein, Edwards| date=2012-11-27 | access-date=2015-09-28}}}}

References

External links

{{Profootballhof|albert-glen-turk-edwards}}
{{College Football HoF|1530}}
{{Footballstats |nfl=turk-edwards |espn= |cbs= |yahoo= |fox= |si= |pfr=E/EdwaTu20 |rotoworld= }}

{{Navboxes

| title = Turk Edwards—championships, awards, and honors

| list1 =

}}

Category:1907 births

Category:1973 deaths

Category:American football tackles

Category:Boston Braves (NFL) players

Category:Boston Redskins players

Category:Washington Redskins coaches

Category:Washington Redskins players

Category:Washington State Cougars football players