Just Rewards

GAMBIER, Ohio (December 19, 2008) Each new season seems to bring a new honor for Kenyon senior Yancy Edwards. Last summer, he was chosen to take part in a prestigious sociology research program funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S Department of Defense. And this month he collected another in a long line of awards for his football prowess. Edwards has just been named to the Division III All-America team by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA).

It's the highest of many athletic honors bestowed on Edwards, who has repeatedly rewritten the Kenyon record books as an offensive lineman. Edwards, from Wesley Chapel, Florida, has started in every game since his freshman year. This season, he was the anchor of an offensive line that paved the way for the Lords to rack up 384.1 yards per game, the third-best average in the conference. From his position at left tackle, Edwards recorded 22 pancake blocks, did not allow a sack throughout the season, and overall graded out at 91 percent.

Edwards, who plans to pursue graduate work leading to a career in criminal justice, also stands out as a sociology major. Last summer, he was one of 14 students selected to work at the Disaster Research Center at the University of Delaware, as part of the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program. The center conducts social-science research on disasters ranging from hurricanes and earthquakes, to hazardous chemical spills and plane crashes, to civil disturbances and riots. Working with professors and graduate students at the center, Edwards pursued a project on how the media affected race relations in post-Katrina New Orleans.

On campus, Edwards has also been active in the student advisory board of the Sociology Department. And as a trumpeter, he has played with both student groups and Kenyon's Symphonic Wind Ensemble.

Edwards is the first Kenyon player to be selected to the AFCA All-America team since Jim Myers in 1974. Edwards is also a three-time All-North Coast Athletic Conference honoree with two first-team selections to his credit, a 2007 d3football.com All-North Region performer, and an Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar.