Current ESPN analyst Herm Edwards visited Shippensburg University on Thursday night to talk about some past life experiences and give some advice on how to better one’s life.

Edwards started the afternoon with a press conference inside the H. Ric Luhrs Performing Arts Center amongst different student media groups along with local news stations.

Edwards began the news conference with an opening statement, saying he was honored to be at Shippensburg University on behalf of the H.O.P.E. (Helping Our People Excel) Diversity Scholarship Program. Edwards said he was honored to be a part of the program and be in the same discussion as former speakers Coretta Scott King, the widow of Martin Luther King Jr.; Julius Erving; and Spike Lee, just to name a few.

Edwards touched on different topics around football and life itself.

Being a former player and coach, Edwards knows the game and answered questions about things going on in the National Football League. Edwards talked about the problems in the Miami Dolphins’ locker room and the topic of Michael Sam.

“Obliviously the culture in Miami is something puzzling to me. I have been involved with locker rooms for 30 years whether it has been coaching or playing. It is not normal at all,” Edwards said.
The former coach went on to explain that horse play happens inside an NFL locker room but he felt as if the Miami Dolphins’ organization and coaching staff let it get out of hand. He later expressed his hope that the team can pull it back together because they are a talented football team.
Edwards also talked about the meaning of life.

“We get so caught up in working. Life is not about working so much, it is about making a difference. Hopefully tonight I can shed some light to some young people about making a difference in their life,” Edwards said.

Throughout his speech later that evening, Edwards talked about his days playing high school football and making the transition to play college football. Edwards indulged the crowd in how he made his decision on which college he wanted to go to and how his plans changed after he went to college.

Another aspect of the interview and speech that Edwards stressed on was life after football. He noted that football is not a career and that players need to have plans for after football.

“It is very difficult for guys to make the transition from not playing football. At some point in your life there is no more recess…when you are a football player you basically have recess,” Edwards said. “Coaches have a lot to do with it especially in college to make sure these guys have a plan in place for when they cannot play football.”

Later that evening Edwards reminisced about his training camp days in Philadelphia saying the odds were against him on making the team but he was not going to leave Philadelphia without making the Eagles team.

Edwards did make the team and spent nine years with the Eagles and never missed a game.

The former coach ended his speech by taking a few questions from the crowd and giving as much advice about life and football as he could.

Share