Herm Edwards on Life Lessons from Playing and Coaching in the NFL

In The Front Row with Mike Vaccaro

Herm Edwards was born on an Army base with a dad who was a World War II veteran and a German mom. Edwards grew up in Seaside, CA and took to football against his mother’s wishes. He played cornerback at nearby California Berkeley for 2 seasons along with one season at Monterey Peninsula College and San Diego State where he would graduate in 1976 with a criminal justice degree. Undrafted, Edwards signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1977. He spent 9 years with the franchise and never missed a regular season game. Along the way, he grabbed 38 interceptions, just 1 shy of the franchise record. Following his playing career, Edwards turned to coaching where he worked under mentors like Marty Schottenheimer and Tony Dungy. He got his own head coaching job in 2001 when he was hired by the New York Jets and was later traded to the Kansas City Chiefs where he replaced Dick Vermeil, his head coach in Philadelphia. He moved onto TV in 2009 when he was hired by ESPN and returned to the network in 2022 after a stint as a college coach. Now 70, Edwards reflects on his journey and shares the lessons he’s learned playing and coaching football. He also tells us about the life-changing moments during his career including the impact quarterback Roman Gabriel had on him. Plus, we hear the story behind his first NFL interception and the full-circle moment that came later.