State's Edwards Inducted Into MACJC Sports Hall Of Fame
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State University assistant coordinator of facilities Don Edwards was inducted into the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges Sports Hall of Fame on Tuesday, April 22. Edwards was one of 30 individuals honored at the Thames Conference Center on the Copiah-Lincoln Community College campus in Wesson.
As a football standout at East Mississippi Community College, Edwards was named to the Wigham All-American Team as a sophomore and one of three Mississippians named to the Williamson Rating All-American team.
During the campaign, he led the nation in punting and field goals and was third in total offense. Edwards also participated in the Albuquerque, N.M., All-American game. An all-State selection, he was team captain and elected the Most Valuable Player of the 1961 Lions.
EMCC finished the season 8-2 and won the Hospitality Bowl.
As a freshman at EMCC, Edward finished second in the hurdles and third in the long jump and ran the anchor legs of the 4x100- and 4x200-meter relays at the state meet.
Following EMCC, Edwards spent three seasons at Mississippi State. In 1964, he became the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback. Edwards threw a touchdown pass and tied as the leading rusher as MSU defeated in-state rival Mississippi 20-17 on Nov. 27, 1964, the first Bulldog victory over the Rebels in 18 seasons. He received his bachelor’s degree from the university in 1965.
He was previously inducted into the East Mississippi Community College Sports Hall of Fame in 2001. Edwards is also a past president of the MSU "M" Club Alumni Association.
Married to the former Joan Luster for 42 years, the couple has three daughters ? Alice Chain, Donna Guest and Emily Blalock and four grandchildren ? Justin and Wyatt Blalock and Jacey and Drew Williams.
Edwards is a 1959 graduate of Woodlawn High School in Birmingham, Ala.