David Edwards (football player and motivational speaker)
Encyclopedia
David Edwards was an American
high school football
player whose paralysis
following an injury suffered during play led to work as a motivational speaker.
. As a young child, he showed little interest in sports, but he was as the son of a former All-City running back from Austin's Reagan High School
and a cousin of former University of Texas running back Shon Mitchell.
, and at the encouragement of a new friend he began playing football at the Pop Warner
level. After his junior season of varsity high school football in 2003, he was selected a Unanimous First-Team All Area Class 5A defensive back by The San Antonio Express-News
. That season would be his first and only season playing varsity football for San Antonio's James Madison High School. ln the final minutes of the first round play-off game in Austin against Westlake High School, he collided face down with the crown of his helmet
to the chest of Westlake receiver Coy Aune. The impact of the collision left him paralyzed from the shoulders down after shattering the C-4 and C-5 vertebrae in his neck. Over 9,000 people were on hand to witness his devastating hit resulting in the injury.
His injury had a profound effect on many that were in the stadium. One of those people in attendance was filmmaker Peter Berg
, who had followed Westlake's season as part of his own research on Texas high school football prior to filming the movie version of Friday Night Lights. Seeking a way to help Edwards, Berg eventually came up with the idea of having a benefit concert for him and other young men in similar circumstances, and in April 2004 that concert took place in Austin. The concert was produced by Friday Night Lights cast member and country music star Tim McGraw
. McGraw and his wife Faith Hill
headlined the concert along with Friday Night Lights star and musician Billy Bob Thornton
and his friend, rock legend Alice Cooper
. The concert raised $28,000, to be divided evenly between the David Edwards Trust and the Gridiron Heroes Spinal Cord Injury Organization.
(played by Scott Porter
) in the TV-series Friday Night Lights
, which premiered on NBC in fall 2006. Another person who witnessed the injury was Madison alumnus and former defensive back Shawn Wayne Jones, an award-winning screenwriter. After following Edwards' recovery through media accounts, he was inspired to produce a documentary film about Edwards and other young men who have been paralyzed while playing high school football; from the 1999 season through the 2006 season, at least 14 high school football players have been paralyzed in Texas alone. The media attention received by Edwards' story helped the organization Gridiron Heroes raise public awareness and support for these young men who face very costly lifelong care not always covered by insurance and government subsidies. Filming began in April 2005, just prior to Edwards' graduation, and the feature length documentary called Beyond the Lights, is expected to premier at the Sundance Film Festival
when completed.
The Austin Westlake community through their athletic booster program would go on to raise over $100,000 for David in a fairly short period of time. In doing so, the money would be used to help offset insurance
deductibles and pay for other necessities that are not covered by insurance and social security
. Two years later, his $1 million dollar health insurance policy through his stepfather's work had completely been exhausted and the school district's $5 million dollar catastrophic policy took over with one catch. That policy had a one time $20,000 deductible. Again the Westlake community would come to David's aid and raised another $20,000 in just two-weeks time.
In 2004, KB Homes built and donated a new single-story home custom designed for Edwards' needs in the same neighborhood where his parents had purchased a new two-story home just a year before his injury. The home was built in about one month's time, and most of the labor was provided by his Madison teammates and friends.
Following his injury, Edwards became an inspiration to many including young children in elementary schools whom he spoke to about facing life's challenges with a positive attitude. He also mentored youths who faced similar physical challenges and befriended those who faced terminal disease.
Edwards also became an active participant in the Gridiron Heroes Spinal Cord Injury Foundation's mission to bring hope, information, and financial assistance to other injured athletes and their families. He became very close friends with Chris Canales, the co-founder of Gridiron Heroes, who like Edwards was an all-district defensive back who suffered a spinal cord injury while making a tackle playing for San Marcos Baptist Academy in 2001. They were frequently seen together on the field at numerous high school and college football games, continuing to support the sport that brought their physical demise. Edwards would frequently join Canales and his father Eddie Canales at fundraising events throughout the state of Texas.
related complications at the age of 20 on February 27, 2008, at Northeast Methodist hospital in San Antonio, Texas. He was three days shy of his 21st birthday.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
player whose paralysis
Paralysis
Paralysis is loss of muscle function for one or more muscles. Paralysis can be accompanied by a loss of feeling in the affected area if there is sensory damage as well as motor. A study conducted by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, suggests that about 1 in 50 people have been diagnosed...
following an injury suffered during play led to work as a motivational speaker.
Biography
Edwards was born in Austin, TexasAustin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. As a young child, he showed little interest in sports, but he was as the son of a former All-City running back from Austin's Reagan High School
John H. Reagan High School (Austin, Texas)
John H. Reagan High School is a public, co-educational secondary school in Austin, Texas. It is part of the Austin Independent School District. Reagan High School opened in 1965 and is named for John Henninger Reagan, a 19th century U.S. Senator from Texas....
and a cousin of former University of Texas running back Shon Mitchell.
Accident
When he was ten, his family moved to San Antonio, TexasSan Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, and at the encouragement of a new friend he began playing football at the Pop Warner
Pop Warner Little Scholars
Pop Warner Little Scholars is a non-profit organization that provides youth football, cheerleading, and dance programs for participants in 43 U.S. states and several countries around the world. It is headquartered in Langhorne, Pennsylvania...
level. After his junior season of varsity high school football in 2003, he was selected a Unanimous First-Team All Area Class 5A defensive back by The San Antonio Express-News
San Antonio Express-News
The San Antonio Express-News is the daily newspaper of San Antonio, Texas. It is ranked as the third-largest daily newspaper in the state of Texas in terms of circulation, and is one of the leading news sources of South Texas, with offices in Austin, Brownsville, Laredo, and Mexico City...
. That season would be his first and only season playing varsity football for San Antonio's James Madison High School. ln the final minutes of the first round play-off game in Austin against Westlake High School, he collided face down with the crown of his helmet
Helmet
A helmet is a form of protective gear worn on the head to protect it from injuries.Ceremonial or symbolic helmets without protective function are sometimes used. The oldest known use of helmets was by Assyrian soldiers in 900BC, who wore thick leather or bronze helmets to protect the head from...
to the chest of Westlake receiver Coy Aune. The impact of the collision left him paralyzed from the shoulders down after shattering the C-4 and C-5 vertebrae in his neck. Over 9,000 people were on hand to witness his devastating hit resulting in the injury.
His injury had a profound effect on many that were in the stadium. One of those people in attendance was filmmaker Peter Berg
Peter Berg
Peter Berg is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is known for directing films such as Friday Night Lights, The Kingdom, The Rundown, Hancock and Battleship. He also developed the television series Friday Night Lights, which was adapted from the film he directed. As an actor...
, who had followed Westlake's season as part of his own research on Texas high school football prior to filming the movie version of Friday Night Lights. Seeking a way to help Edwards, Berg eventually came up with the idea of having a benefit concert for him and other young men in similar circumstances, and in April 2004 that concert took place in Austin. The concert was produced by Friday Night Lights cast member and country music star Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw
Samuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw is an American country singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts with total album sales in excess of 40 million units in the US, making him the eighth best-selling artist, and the third best-selling country singer, in the...
. McGraw and his wife Faith Hill
Faith Hill
Faith Hill is an American country singer. She is known both for her commercial success and her marriage to fellow country star Tim McGraw. Hill has sold more than 40 million records worldwide and accumulated eight number-one singles and three number-one albums on the U.S...
headlined the concert along with Friday Night Lights star and musician Billy Bob Thornton
Billy Bob Thornton
Billy Bob Thornton is an American actor, screenwriter, director and musician. Thornton gained early recognition as a cast member on the CBS sitcom Hearts Afire and in several early 1990s films including On Deadly Ground and Tombstone...
and his friend, rock legend Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
. The concert raised $28,000, to be divided evenly between the David Edwards Trust and the Gridiron Heroes Spinal Cord Injury Organization.
Post-accident life
Edwards' injury and rehabilitation also inspired Berg to create the character of Jason StreetJason Street
Jason Mitchell Street is a fictional character in the NBC/DirecTV television drama Friday Night Lights, portrayed by Scott Porter...
(played by Scott Porter
Scott Porter
Matthew Scott Porter , better known as Scott Porter, is an American actor and occasional singer known for his role as Jason Street in the NBC television drama Friday Night Lights. His character was injured during a football game in the pilot episode and became a paraplegic...
) in the TV-series Friday Night Lights
Friday Night Lights (TV series)
Friday Night Lights is an American sports drama television series adapted by Peter Berg, Brian Grazer and David Nevins from a book and film of the same name. The series details events surrounding a high school football team based in fictional Dillon, Texas, with particular focus given to team...
, which premiered on NBC in fall 2006. Another person who witnessed the injury was Madison alumnus and former defensive back Shawn Wayne Jones, an award-winning screenwriter. After following Edwards' recovery through media accounts, he was inspired to produce a documentary film about Edwards and other young men who have been paralyzed while playing high school football; from the 1999 season through the 2006 season, at least 14 high school football players have been paralyzed in Texas alone. The media attention received by Edwards' story helped the organization Gridiron Heroes raise public awareness and support for these young men who face very costly lifelong care not always covered by insurance and government subsidies. Filming began in April 2005, just prior to Edwards' graduation, and the feature length documentary called Beyond the Lights, is expected to premier at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
when completed.
The Austin Westlake community through their athletic booster program would go on to raise over $100,000 for David in a fairly short period of time. In doing so, the money would be used to help offset insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
deductibles and pay for other necessities that are not covered by insurance and social security
Social security
Social security is primarily a social insurance program providing social protection or protection against socially recognized conditions, including poverty, old age, disability, unemployment and others. Social security may refer to:...
. Two years later, his $1 million dollar health insurance policy through his stepfather's work had completely been exhausted and the school district's $5 million dollar catastrophic policy took over with one catch. That policy had a one time $20,000 deductible. Again the Westlake community would come to David's aid and raised another $20,000 in just two-weeks time.
In 2004, KB Homes built and donated a new single-story home custom designed for Edwards' needs in the same neighborhood where his parents had purchased a new two-story home just a year before his injury. The home was built in about one month's time, and most of the labor was provided by his Madison teammates and friends.
Following his injury, Edwards became an inspiration to many including young children in elementary schools whom he spoke to about facing life's challenges with a positive attitude. He also mentored youths who faced similar physical challenges and befriended those who faced terminal disease.
Edwards also became an active participant in the Gridiron Heroes Spinal Cord Injury Foundation's mission to bring hope, information, and financial assistance to other injured athletes and their families. He became very close friends with Chris Canales, the co-founder of Gridiron Heroes, who like Edwards was an all-district defensive back who suffered a spinal cord injury while making a tackle playing for San Marcos Baptist Academy in 2001. They were frequently seen together on the field at numerous high school and college football games, continuing to support the sport that brought their physical demise. Edwards would frequently join Canales and his father Eddie Canales at fundraising events throughout the state of Texas.
Death
David Edwards died of pneumoniaPneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
related complications at the age of 20 on February 27, 2008, at Northeast Methodist hospital in San Antonio, Texas. He was three days shy of his 21st birthday.