Super Bowl LVII: Former Badger Edwards eager for chance at championship for Eagles

PHOENIX, Ari. (WBAY) - The Eagles’ T.J. Edwards is simply a great football story. He went undrafted out of Wisconsin in 2019, but worked his way onto the Eagles 53-man roster and ended up making 4 starts as a rookie. Here three seasons later he is the 7th-leading tackler in the NFL, with 159 this season. He hopes to add a few more Sunday to seal the deal and head home a Super Bowl champion.

“This is where you dream of getting to and all those things,” Edwards said. “But I truly believe we are here for a reason. We are just going to get that done and then we can celebrate after that. I want to get this win more than anything. I truly do.”

“What doesn’t he bring?,” asked teammate Haason Reddick. “He has intelligence, hard work, and dedication. And then on game days he is just crazy. He is an animal, man. He has been amazing for us this year.”

“T.J. means so much to our defense,” said defensive lineman Fletcher Cox. “He is one of the most underrated and unappreciated players on our team. He is our green dot and responsible for getting us lined up.”

“For me, it’s just all about hard work and trying to outwork the next guy,” Edwards said. “And just realizing that you have a limited time to do these things. So if you don’t give it your all, you’re not going to get the things you want.”

While season-long MVP awards always go to quarterbacks, big game MVP awards can go to defensive players who show up on the big stage. And Edwards has a track record of doing so. He was the Cotton Bowl MVP at Wisconsin. But for his Eagles to win, they will have to contend with another Badger linebacker on the other side in Leo Chenal.