Catholic faith helps New York Jets coach on and off the field

Published: 2004-10-26

ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (CNS) -- Herman Edwards, head coach of the New York Jets, has guided his team this season to a 5-1 record, one of the best marks in the National Football League. However, the 50-year-old coach does not believe his personal success should be measured in terms of wins and losses. Instead, he said his Catholic faith is the most important element in his life and he should be judged on his behavior as a "man of God." "My priorities are real simple," said Edwards, a parishioner at St. Joseph Church in Garden City. "There's God, my family and my occupation. ... If you can line them up that way, you're going to be OK." He made the comments in an interview with The Long Island Catholic, newspaper of the Rockville Centre Diocese, at the Jets' training facility at Hofstra University. Born in Monmouth, N.J., and raised in Seaside, Calif., Edwards was a high school and college football star before he embarked on a 10-year professional playing career in 1977. He spent nine seasons as a defensive back with the Philadelphia Eagles.

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