Dovonte Edwards
Encyclopedia
Dovonte Edwards is a American and Canadian football
cornerback
for the Omaha Nighthawks
of the United Football League. He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings
as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football
at North Carolina State
.
Edwards has also been a member of the New York Giants
, Detroit Lions
and Toronto Argonauts
.
and returned punts. He was named Most Outstanding Defensive Player after the 2004 season. He started all 11 games at cornerback as a senior and led the team with 3 interceptions. He also played basketball as a freshman and sophomore.
when he intercepted a Brett Favre
pass and returned it 51 yards for a touchdown. Edwards was a possible reason the Vikings were able to release Ken Irvin
and sign a third quarterback
, J.T. O'Sullivan
, when Daunte Culpepper
was lost for the season.
for the nickleback spot.
, at the Chicago Bears
and vs. the Denver Broncos
. Made two special teams tackles at Arizona in his first action since signing with the Lions. Was inactive vs. the New York Giants
, against the Packers and at Minnesota. Edwards recorded a career-high in tackles with 10 against the Dallas Cowboys
. Had three tackles and a pass defensed at the San Diego Chargers
. Made one tackle and two passes defensed against the Kansas City Chiefs
, also had two special teams tackles. Had three tackles (two solo) to finish the season at Green Bay.
during the 2008 preseason and spent the rest of the year out of football.
on May 12, 2009. During the 2009 CFL season
, Edwards served as the Argonauts' primary kick returner.
Gridiron football
Gridiron football , sometimes known as North American football, is an umbrella term for related codes of football primarily played in the United States and Canada. The predominant forms of gridiron football are American football and Canadian football...
cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
for the Omaha Nighthawks
Omaha Nighthawks
The Omaha Nighthawks are a professional American football team based in Omaha, Nebraska, which plays in the United Football League, joining the league as an expansion team in 2010. For their first season, the Nighthawks played their home games at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium before moving to TD...
of the United Football League. He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at North Carolina State
NC State Wolfpack football
The NC State Wolfpack football team represents North Carolina State University in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Wolfpack currently compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference....
.
Edwards has also been a member of the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
and Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
.
Early years
At Chapel Hill High School, Edwards had 14 receiving, 2 punt returns and 1 kickoff returns for touchdowns. He was also a 3-time all-conference selection in basketball.College career
Edwards was a four year player at NC State, where he played Cornerback, Wide ReceiverWide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
and returned punts. He was named Most Outstanding Defensive Player after the 2004 season. He started all 11 games at cornerback as a senior and led the team with 3 interceptions. He also played basketball as a freshman and sophomore.
2005
Edwards first national exposure came on Monday Night FootballMonday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
when he intercepted a Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
pass and returned it 51 yards for a touchdown. Edwards was a possible reason the Vikings were able to release Ken Irvin
Ken Irvin
Kenneth Pernell Irvin is a former American football defensive back who played for ten seasons in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills, New Orleans Saints, and the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football at the University of Memphis.Ken Irvin is currently the defensive backs coach at Pepperell High...
and sign a third quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, J.T. O'Sullivan
J.T. O'Sullivan
John Thomas "J. T." O'Sullivan is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at UC Davis....
, when Daunte Culpepper
Daunte Culpepper
Daunte Rachard Culpepper is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He last played for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League . Prior to joining the UFL, Culpepper enjoyed a successful National Football League career after being drafted 11th overall in...
was lost for the season.
2006
Edwards' second NFL season ended prematurely after suffering a season-ending arm injury against Dallas in the preseason while battling with rookie Cedric GriffinCedric Griffin
Cedric Leonard Griffin is an American football cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.He was born in Natchez, Mississippi and graduated from Holmes High School in San Antonio, Texas. He played college football for The University of Texas Longhorns and was a stand-out...
for the nickleback spot.
2007
Edwards looked to make a comeback in 2007 and battle for the nickel and dime spot on the team along with Charles Gordon and Ronyell Whittaker. However he appeared to be the odd man out, as he was cut during the finals roster cuts and claimed by Giants on the same day. However he was released by Giants just six days later. Edwards was signed the by Lions to the active roster on October 17. Was inactive vs. the Tampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, at the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and vs. the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Made two special teams tackles at Arizona in his first action since signing with the Lions. Was inactive vs. the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, against the Packers and at Minnesota. Edwards recorded a career-high in tackles with 10 against the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
. Had three tackles and a pass defensed at the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Made one tackle and two passes defensed against the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
, also had two special teams tackles. Had three tackles (two solo) to finish the season at Green Bay.
2008
Edwards was released by the Detroit LionsDetroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
during the 2008 preseason and spent the rest of the year out of football.
2009
Edwards was signed by the Toronto ArgonautsToronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
on May 12, 2009. During the 2009 CFL season
2009 CFL season
The 2009 CFL season was the 56th season of modern professional Canadian football. Officially, it was the 52nd season of the Canadian Football League. The Montreal Alouettes won the 97th Grey Cup on November 29 with a last second 28–27 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders...
, Edwards served as the Argonauts' primary kick returner.
2010
Due to a leg injury, Edwards was unable to play football for the upcoming season. He was released by the Argonauts on June 1, 2010.2011
On May 27, 2011, Edwards re-signed with the Toronto Argonauts. He was released by the Argonauts on June 24, 2011.Professional career stats
| Professional Career Defensive Statistics | |||||||||||
| Year | Team | G | Tkl | Ast | Sacks | Int | Yds | Avg | Lg | TD | Pass Def |
| 2005 2005 NFL season The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006... |
Minnesota 2005 Minnesota Vikings season 2005 was the 45th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 86th regular season of the National Football League.-Offseason:Red McCombs sold the Minnesota Vikings to a group led by Zygi Wilf in May 2005. Wilf was originally going to be a limited partner to Reggie Fowler. However Fowler... |
12 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 51 | 51.0 | 51 | 1 | 3 |
| 2006 2006 NFL season The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006... |
Minnesota 2006 Minnesota Vikings season 2006 was the 46th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 46th regular season of the National Football League.The 2006 Minnesota Vikings season began with the team trying to improve on their 9–7 record in 2005 which was the last under embattled head coach Mike Tice... |
0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2007 2007 NFL season The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30.... |
NYG 2007 New York Giants season The 2007 New York Giants season was the 83rd season for the New York Giants in the National Football League. The Giants finished the regular season 10–6 and in second place in the NFC East, improving upon their 8–8 record in 2006 in which they finished third in their division... /Detroit 2007 Detroit Lions season The 2007 Detroit Lions season was the 78th season for the team in the National Football League. After starting the 2007 season with a 6-2 record, the Lions lost 7 of their last 8 games. They finished with a 7-9 record for their seventh consecutive losing season... |
5 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Total | 17 | 23 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 51 | 51.0 | 51 | 1 | 6 |