Donnie Edwards: South Bay’s touch of class

By Phillip Brents

Posted Oct. 12, 2004

Photo: Chargers linebacker Donnie Edwards autographs a football at the Chargers fourth annual Taste of the NFl fundraiser Oct. 12. 

With all the things outside football in which Donnie Edwards involves himself, one has to wonder just how does the 1991 Chula Vista High School graduate have time to perform for the NFL San Diego Chargers -- and perform like the All-Pro player he is?

Does he wear an "S" emblazoned underneath his Chargers uniform?

No, just a tremendously big heart.

"I’m just a poor kid from National City. To me, it’s an unbelievable situation to be in to help others," he said at a recent community function.

Edwards’ philosophy has been the same, regardless of where he has been playing — and servicing the community:

Do not let anything stand in the way of one’s goals.

Always give 100 percent, no matter what one does in life — whether it may be football, school or relationships.

Always give 100 percent while going after those goals.

At age 31 and now one of the ranking veterans in the NFL, Edwards does not appear to be showing any signs of slowing down soon — either on or off the playing field.

An outside linebacker, Edwards led the Chargers defense with 12 tackles and three assists in Sunday’s 34-21 victory against the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars. For the season, Edwards leads the Chargers with 49 total tackles.

Last year, he set a career high with 162 tackles.

But Edwards’ impact goes far beyond the numbers. His touch is evidenced everywhere, it seems, where disadvantaged youth is involved.

In one bold sentence, Edwards has clearly set the standard for Chargers players in terms of community service. A strong supporter of education and staying active, Edwards has generously devoted his time and money while traveling around the county helping those in need.

He served as the honorary captain of the 2003 Alex Spanos All-Star Classic, the longest-running high school all-star football game in the state. He played in the first All-Star Classic in 1991 following graduation from Chula Vista High.

This year’s Most Valuable Players included Castle Park’s DeMarco Sampson and Vista’s Russell Allen as the South avenged three years to dominance by the North with a 43-7 victory at Mesa College.

Besides Edwards, other future NFL pros to have played in the all-star game include Zeke Moreno (Chargers), LaRoi Glover (Dallas Cowboys), Rashaan Salaam (Chicago Bears), Ted Johnson (New England Patriots), Shane Walton (Pittsburgh Steelers), J.R. Tolver (Miami Dolphins) and Joe Salave’a (Washington Redskins).

The Chargers’ Defensive Most Valuable player the past two seasons and a Pro Bowl selection in 2002, Edwards still can be found along the sidelines at select CVHS football games.

Since returning to hometown territory, Edwards has dedicated himself to improving the lives of area youth — be it for those in the foster care system, high school football players at his alma mater or championing events to raise money to reduce obesity among schoolchildren.

He was a participant in Tuesday’s Taste of the NFL celebrity dinner and memorabilia auction, held at San Diego’s downtown On Broadway Event Center, that benefited the San Diego Food Bank. He also served as the host for the Child Abuse Prevention Foundation’s fall gala "Chefs and Champions for Kids" Oct. 8 at the Hall of Champions in Balboa Park.

He is the Chargers’ representative for the upcoming NFL Take a Player to School presented by JCPenney Afterschool. Players from all 32 NFL teams will visit schools either on Oct. 19 or Oct. 26 where they will speak with students about the importance of education and after-school programs.

One of the first projects Edwards undertook when he joined the Chargers as an unrestricted free agent in 2002 after completing a six-year career with the Kansas City Chiefs, was to help create a state-of-the-art weight training facility on campus. The school’s weight room had not been renovated since the 1980s and still contained some equipment dating to the 1960s. After Edwards purchased the equipment, the former wrestling and dance room on campus was converted into a state-of-the-art weight room.

The $40,000 project brought in new weights, flooring, mirrors and commemorative items from Edwards’ playing career. It took two years to complete.

The Spartans followed by producing a 10-0 regular season on the field.

"It’s fantastic. The kids (were) excited to get in there. It’s something to have one of your graduates do this here. It’s associated with the Chargers. It puts a little extra pizzazz into it," Chula Vista head football coach Rex Johnson said.

An All-Metro Conference selection as a linebacker and tight end, Edwards also earned letters in baseball and basketball while in high school. He is a member of both the school’s Hall of Fame and the Sweetwater Union High School District’s Hall of Fame. His #89 jersey was retired in June 2000 and hangs in the CVHS gymnasium.

"After seeing the weight room, I felt I had to do something," Edwards said. "I couldn't believe it when I saw that they were still using the equipment I had used there and it seemed old to me then. I know the difference of what a good work-out program made in my life and I want to be able to provide that opportunity to somebody else."

Edwards told assembled team members: "I know how important it is for football and other sports. I know how important it is to stay healthy. It’s an opportunity to get bigger and faster," Edwards said. I did it here. You can, too."

"Donnie has really become a role model for us — the players are striving to do the best they can both on the field and in the classroom," Johnson said. "He had a very successful career at UCLA and has been a contributor with the Chargers. But he’ll always be a Spartan."

Edwards has continued to deliver his message of physical fitness around the county by creating a program called "Jump for Life." The program recently held its first annual celebrity waiter dinner at the award-winning Pamplemousse Grille in Del Mar. Joining Edwards as a celebrity waiter at the $275 per ticket event were Chargers teammates LaDainian Tomlinson, Tim Dwight, Sammy Davis and Ben Leber and former professional athletes Andre Reed and David Justice.

A private defensive mini-camp coached by Edwards was auctioned for $4,000 at the event. Three dinners with Edwards, Tomlinson and Chargers quarterback Doug Flutie each sold for $15,000.

Such is the stature commanded by this generous man. "I’m really pleased that this cause to fight childhood obesity really received so much support. It’s critical that children stay active and develop good eating habits and a healthy lifestyle," Edwards told Chargers.com.

The Jump for Life program, which is scheduled to be implemented in 42 schools throughout the county in association with the San Diego County Office of Education, aims to reach its goals of motivating children to eat healthier and become more physically active through exercise, nutritional education and incentive programs. The program is part of the Donnie Edwards Best Defense Foundation.

Edwards also serves as the executive commissioner of the San Diego Chapter of the After-School All Stars, a program created by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to provide positive alternates to inner-city youth who might otherwise become involved with gangs, drugs and violence.

Incredibly, there’s even more.

Photo: This autographed football by Marcus Allen brought a bid of $500 at the Taste of the NFL silent auction.

Edwards also hosts "Dad’s Day with Donnie" at SeaWorld every year around Father’s Day. The event allows Edwards and other professional athletes the chance to spend time with children who do not have a father figure in their lives.

He is also actively involved with the Boy Scouts (he serves on the organization’s San Diego Board of Directors and holds the rank of Star Scout), Boys and Girls Clubs, Sharp Hospital and Read Across America programs. He served as the honorary chairman of Scout Fair 2003. Close to home, he recently donated $12,000 for South County scouting activities and $5,000 to the National City Boys and Girls Clubs.

Edwards also has a deep appreciation for the military (he went to Europe to commemorate the 60th anniversary of D-Day and toured World War II battlefields with veterans of that cataclysm). He is an avid military buff and owner of 3,000 military artifacts. In 2001 was invited to fly in an F-18 with the U.S. Navy’s famed Blue Angels unit. He also was on board the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln when President Bush delivered his address announcing the cessation of hostilities in Iraq.

Amazing.

What’s even more impressive is that Edwards’ roots grow extremely deep. During Read Across America Week, Edwards made a visit to his former elementary school, El Toyon, in National City when the sixth grade classes of teachers Leroy Petty and Kim Tobias were given a real treat. Instead of reading to the students, Edwards gave a motivational speech to the students about setting goals and working hard to obtain them.

"He used himself as an example of growing up in a single parent family, poor and wanting more out of life. He achieved his goal by hard work and determination," Petty said.

Edwards answered questions with personal experiences and was still going strong when the dismissal bell rang.

"He stayed after school and signed everything in sight," Petty said. "The teachers were very impressed by his great personality and ability to relate to the students."

After a standout career at UCLA (where he played baseball one season before focusing on football), Edwards was drafted in the fourth round of the 1996 NFL Draft by Kansas City as the 98th overall selection.

While at UCLA (where he played baseball one season before focusing on football), Edwards ranked third in school history with 38 career tackles for a loss and fifth with 21.5 sacks. He was named a third team All-American his junior year. Kansas City drafted him in the fourth round of the 1996 NFL Draft as the 98th overall selection.

His first pro start in the NFL with Kansas City on Thanksgiving Day in 1996 was memorable. He recorded a team-high eight tackles, one half sack and an interception that set up a Chiefs score.

Edwards is currently in his third season with the Chargers. Entering this season, Edwards had started 112 of 126 games with both the Chiefs and Chargers, made 754 tackles and contributed 279 assists, recorded 15.5 sacks for negative 124 yards, intercepted 17 passes with 254 return yards, scored three touchdowns, made 48 pass deflections and recovered nine fumbles.

Sunday’s win raised the Chargers’ record to 3-2. The team sits one game back of the Denver Broncos in the AFC West Division standings. After Sunday’s win, there is renewed optimism the Bolts — despite owning the NFL’s fourth-youngest team — can contend for a division title after finishing 8-8 last year, 5-11 the season before that and a dismal 1-15 in 2000.

"So far everything has gone great since I’ve come to San Diego. We just need to keep going after it. It’s going to work. It’s going to happen. But it’s going to take a lot of hard work," Edwards said.

Well, with Edwards being one of the team’s hardest workers — both on and off the field — and one of its most vocal leaders, that should not be a problem.