Marc Edwards: From Blue Collar, Ohio to Super Bowl Champion

Marc Edwards is a former professional football player who played in the NFL for nine years and a total of five teams, from 1997 to 2005.

Marc will be sharing his inspirational story as the keynote speaker for the 2023 PFFA Spring Work Group on February 22, 2023.

The Early Years

Born in 1974 in blue collar Norwood, Ohio, Marc started his journey as a third grader with a dream. Achieving early success through the support of family and friends, Marc starred as a running back/linebacker for Norwood High School and was named Ohio's Mr. Football as the state's top high school player in 1992.

The College Years

Marc played college football starting in the fall of 1993 at Notre Dame. He made his mark quickly for the Irish as a rugged fullback in Lou Holtz’s run-oriented offense, scoring eight of his 32 touchdowns as a freshman for the 11-1 Irish. Marc received the Honorable Mention All American and was selected captain alongside Ron Powlus and Lyron Cobbins in 1996, his Senior year and Holtz’s last as head coach of the Irish. During his time at Notre Dame, Marc rushed for 1,591 yards and a 5.1-yard average while scoring 27 rushing touchdowns and five receiving touchdowns. Including his 598 yards receiving, Marc totaled 2,189 yards in a Notre Dame uniform. Following his team's upset win over the #5-ranked University of Southern California Trojans on October 21, 1995, Marc became the second Fighting Irish player to ever be carried off the field by his teammates.

The NFL Years

Marc was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. After two years in San Francisco, he played for the Cleveland Browns from 1999 to 2000. He has also played for the New England Patriots from 2001 to 2002. He carried twice and caught two passes in the New England Patriots’ 20-17 victory over the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002. Marc played for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2003 to 2004 and with the Chicago Bears in 2005. Over the course of Marc’s NFL career, he played in 132 NFL games, with most of his productivity coming via the passing game. He caught 167 passes for 1,301 yards and 10 touchdowns, accrued 405 yards on the ground and three rushing touchdowns.

Today

Today, Marc owns Precision Industrial Installation in Ohio, which works with forklift fleet management companies, dealers, and OEMs to install and implement Telemetry safety systems as well as cameras, blue lights, and other electronic accessories across the material handling industry. Norwood High School retired Marc’s #44 jersey on in September 2010. In October 2010, Aaron M. Smith published a book about Marc’s life, Odyssey: From Blue Collar, Ohio to Super Bowl Champion.

Many Thanks to the Sponsors of the PFFA Spring Work Group!

Event Host: Save the Children

Gold Sponsor: BriteVox

Silver Sponsors: DialogueDirect and GiveBridge

Bronze Sponsors: Globalfaces Direct, New Canvassing Experience, Threshold Giving, and Up Fundraising.