Austin Edwards (born August 27, 1997) is an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wit ...
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is p ...
for the
Houston Roughnecks of the
XFL. He was signed by the
Atlanta Falcons as an
undrafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
in 2020 following his
college football career with the
Ferris State Bulldogs, where he was 1st Team All-American and won the Gene Upshaw Award for Best D2 Defensive Lineman of The Year of 2019. He played in the 2019 East/West Shriners Game in St. Petersburg, FL where he drew the attention of the Kansas City Chiefs with several outstanding plays.
Professional career
Atlanta Falcons
Edwards signed with the
Atlanta Falcons as an
undrafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
following the
2020 NFL Draft
The 2020 NFL Draft was the 85th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2020 NFL season. The first round was held on April 23, followed by the second and third rounds on April 24. The ...
on April 27, 2020. He was waived during final roster cuts on September 5, and signed to the team's
practice squad the next day. He was released on September 25, and re-signed to the practice squad on September 29. He was elevated to the active roster on October 24 for the team's week 7 game against the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at For ...
, and reverted to the practice squad after the game. He was placed on the practice squad/
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickl ...
list by the team on December 22, 2020, and restored to the practice squad on January 6, 2021. His practice squad contract with the team expired after the season on January 11, 2021.
Kansas City Chiefs
On January 13, 2021, Edwards was signed to the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The t ...
' practice squad. On February 9, 2021, Edwards re-signed with the Chiefs. He was waived on August 31, 2021, and re-signed to the practice squad the next day. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Chiefs on February 2, 2022. He was released on August 16, 2022.
Houston Roughnecks
On November 17, 2022, Edwards was drafted by the
Houston Roughnecks of the
XFL.
References
External links
Atlanta Falcons bioFerris State Bulldogs football bio
1997 births
Living people
Players of American football from Lansing, Michigan
American football defensive ends
Ferris State Bulldogs football players
Atlanta Falcons players
Kansas City Chiefs players
Houston Roughnecks players
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