Armanti Edwards is a North Carolina sports legend. He would lead Appalachian State to consecutive NCAA Division I Football Championships in 2006 and 2007 as a quarterback. When he was signed by the Carolina Panthers he trained as a quarterback and a wide receiver but never quite lived up to his potential with the Panthers and eventually an injury along with management changes meant Edwards’ days in Charlotte were numbered. He moved on to the Cleveland Browns and then to training camp with the Chicago Bears but never found a place in the NFL. Edwards NFL stats were underwhelming only throwing three passes, catching six and running the ball three times. He also had fifteen kick-off returns and forty punt returns. He never scored a single touchdown during his four NFL seasons.
Out of football for a couple of years, Edwards has made a remarkable turnaround in the Canadian Football League. Armanti, who spoke with WIZS’ Trey Snide on Thursday’s SportsTalk said it was an easier transition to the CFL than to the NFL. His NFL experience was what made this transition easier as he was more prepared than when he first came out of Appalachian State. He also credits much of his success to his mentor, Ricky Proehl who was an assistant coach with the Panthers. “Proehl made a difference by teaching me the position’s skills,” Edwards said.
In 2016 Edwards made his debut with Saskatchewan in the CFL playing in four games and grabbing nineteen passes for 231 yards and a touchdown but it was 2017 where Edwards really showed his abilities. Having been signed by Toronto, he helped the team when the CFL Championship 83 receptions, 962 yards and four touchdowns. In 2019 he had over one thousand yards receiving.
This years Edwards has taken his talents to the Edmonton Elks who kick off their season on August 5th. “I’m ready for the first hit,” Edwards says of the first game. “We are looking good on paper,” Edwards added about the Elks chances this season.
While we may remember him most for his quarterbacking skills at Appalachian State, he has certainly caught on, pun intended, in the Great White North of Canada.