Kentucky Football Countdown: No. 27 Mike Edwards

One more Saturday without Kentucky football gone, BBN. That leaves us with just three more until the 2022 season kicks off at Kroger Field. Until then, we will continue counting down the days and looking at some of our most beloved Wildcats from over the years. Today is a good one.

No. 27 (ish) Mike Edwards

This one is a bit of a technicality. You probably know Mike Edwards in a No. 7 jersey – and rightfully so. While that is the number he wore in many of his most iconic moments, spent his freshman and sophomore years as No. 27. So we’ll make it work.

Mike Edwards was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He attended Winton Woods high school just north of the city. He was a four-sport athlete for the Warriors, playing football, basketball, and baseball as well as running track. But the football field is where he excelled.

Edwards had an extremely impressive junior year, putting him on the radar of coaches and scouts. He finished that season with 92 tackles, along with five interceptions (three returned for touchdowns) and two forced fumbles. His senior year was great as well, as he tallied seven interceptions, two fumble recoveries, and 46 tackles.

Those stats earned him a four-star ranking by Rivals and Scout his senior year. They also slated him as the 14th-best prospect in the state of Ohio and the 25th-best safety in the nation. That high praise was good enough for the attention of several colleges including Louisville, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Nebraska. In the end, though, Edwards would choose Stoops and the Wildcats.

A short move from Cincinnati to Lexington

After redshirting his first year, Edwards proved immediately effective for the ‘Cats in his first season of play. He played in all 12 games and totaled 39 tackles on the season as well as an interception, two pass breakups, and a forced fumble.

Some of Edwards’ most memorable moments came during his sophomore year. He picked off Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson twice in Kentucky’s win over No. 11 Louisville in November of 2016. That effort earned him SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week. He led all SEC defensive backs in tackles his sophomore year with 100.

Edwards led the team in tackles per game his junior year with 7.5. He also had the most interceptions (4) that season, making him just the fourth player in UK history to lead the team in both categories. Two of those interceptions were game-winning – one against Eastern Michigan in the end zone and one against EKU late in the fourth quarter.

By the end of his career in Lexington, Edwards had recorded 318 tackles, making him the 19th player in program history with 300 or more. That stat earned him the No. 2 spot in school history in tackles by defensive backs. He had 11 double-figure tackle games, including a career-high 15 against Georgia in 2016. His efforts made him a three-time All-SEC member and earned him a spot in the Reese’s Senior Bowl in 2018.

Edwards was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft at pick No. 99. In Week 3 of his rookie season, he snagged his first career interception against the Broncos to secure a Bucs win. He also intercepted a pass from Drew Brees in the Divisional Round of the playoffs in 2020, helping send Tampa to the Super Bowl that they would go on to win.