Edwards poses with the Toronto Argonauts' 17th Grey Cup, which he helped his team win on Sunday, Nov. 26, 2017, in a 27-24 victory over the Calgary Stampeders. Photo by Desireè Edwards

Armanti Edwards may be the best player to suit up for the Black and Gold. The Mountaineer football icon won two national titles, four Southern Conference championships, two Walter Payton awards and put his stamp on the greatest upset in college football history — all while graduating from Appalachian in three and a half years with a degree in graphic arts and imaging technology.

It was too perfect when the Carolina Panthers traded up to take Edwards in the third round of the 2010 NFL draft. A homegrown hero getting to play at the game’s highest level in his own backyard is the type of tale only seen in movie scripts.

The last seven years have added to the plot. Edwards’ college career was met with the harsh reality of the NFL. Drafted into a coaching change, Edwards was never on stable ground in Charlotte and was cut during his fourth season with the Panthers. He played for two teams in a total of 41 games over five years, and caught just six passes for 131 yards after transitioning to wide receiver, never once sniffing the end zone.

Many in the sport wrote him off. His physical health slowed him a time or two, but like the stubborn warrior who delivered so many times when the odds were stacked against him, Edwards’ perseverance was met with reward.

Edwards played the 2017 season for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and helped the franchise win their 17th Grey Cup, which is the equivalent of the NFL’s Super Bowl title. Playing his first healthy season in several years, the Appalachian State Hall of Famer ranked ninth in the CFL, with 83 receptions, and 15th in yardage (962 yards) while scoring four touchdowns in the year.

Edwards, center, completes a touchdown in the second quarter of the Appalachian State vs. Michigan football game at the Big House in 2007, gaining Appalachian a 28-14 lead. Photo by Troy Tuttle ’07

“I can’t really explain it. This season was very relieving and gratifying,” said Edwards. “For one, I finally got to prove to all the naysayers and to myself that I can play the wide receiver position and be effective at it. This was my first season as a professional that I got a chance to play for the entire season. Not practice, but actually play entire games. And not for just five to 10 plays a game.”

Edwards played an injury-shortened 2016 season in Saskatchewan and was traded to Toronto just before the start of the 2017 campaign. He brought experience as a winner to a franchise that would complete a worst-to-first run at a CFL title with a lanky kid from Greenwood, South Carolina, serving as a top offensive weapon.

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Ex Panther Armanti Edwards hits it big as Canada’s version of a Super Bowl champ Charlotte Observer Armanti Edwards led Appalachian State to two national titles, as well as the biggest upset in school history with a 34-32 win over Michigan in 2007. But this past weekend, the former Carolina Panther achieved a bigger career milestone in Canada, when he helped the Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts beat the Calgary Stampeders for the Grey Cup. That’s Canada’s version of the Super Bowl. Read the story

Player Portrait: Armanti Edwards Toronto Argonauts Argos WR Armanti Edwards recounts the most memorable game of his career on the 10th anniversary of Appalachian State's upset of the Michigan Wolverines. Watch the video

Feeling Blue: Former Rider navigating Trestman’s offence Canadian Football League As the Toronto Argonauts get set to host Saskatchewan in this Sunday’s CFL Eastern Final, Armanti Edwards looms as an important factor, even if he is still zipping a little under the radar of many. Edwards was a superb college quarterback who made a name for himself while he was setting new standards at Appalachian State. Read the story

Where can an Appalachian degree take you? Anywhere you want to go! Appalachian State University generates passionate and engaged alumni, who become leaders in their communities and chosen professions. They exemplify how an Appalachian education can and does make the world a better place. Learn more

About Mountaineer Athletics

More than 450 student-athletes compete in 20 NCAA Division I varsity sports at Appalachian State University, 10 for men and 10 for women. Appalachian was a dominant force in the Southern Conference for more than 40 years before joining the Sun Belt Conference in July 2014 — one of 10 conferences that are members of the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The Mountaineer football team claimed back-to-back 10-win seasons and bowl victories in 2015 and 2016, providing a catalyst for comprehensive excellence to grow across all Appalachian sports while competing at the highest levels of college athletics. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu/athletics.

About Appalachian State University

As the premier public undergraduate institution in the state of North Carolina, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls more than 19,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.