muscle, Edwards played very little during the 1976 season but returned to proper form and status for the '77 and '78 seasons. In 1979, he retired from football, but was coaxed into returning and helping Green Bay who had had a rash of injuries to their young defensive team by the then head coach Bart Starr. In his first game back, he made major contributions and sacks in the Monday night game of the week (October 1, 1979) against Steve Grogan and the New England Patriots. Packers won and he won the game ball which represented the 1000th game played in Packer history. The season ended the career of one of the most versatile linemen in the NFL. A total of 16 players were traded for his services over his career. In 1969, he was added as a member of the Tampa Sports Hall of Fame, one of 52 stars chosen by the Tampa Bay Sports Club. He helped the San Francisco 49ers win the NFC Western Division from 1970 to 1972. He played 11 seasons in the National Football League as a defensive lineman for San Francisco, Buffalo, Cleveland and Green Bay between 1969 and 1979. He was runner-up for NFL Rookie of the Year in 1969 behind Joe Greene. He's a member of the Tampa Sports Hall of Fame, one of 52 local stars chosen by the Tampa Bay Sports Club. He has been married to Janice since 1988. He has three sons, Big Reggie, Tall Gavin (who played college basketball for the Connecticut Huskies and Big Damien who is a fifth year senior on the University of South Florida football team. He also has two daughters, Sandi and Brandi. Edwards is now a substitute teacher in Arizona. References External links NFL.com player page 1946 births Living people People from Statesboro, Georgia American football defensive tackles Buffalo Bills players Cleveland Browns players Edmonton Elks players Green Bay Packers players Players of American football from Georgia (U.S. state) San Francisco 49ers players Wichita State Shockers football players