16-05-2025
Sam Edwards, proud father and grandfather of 'Michigan men,' dies at 87
In a family that produced multiple athletic standouts, none were better than the late Sam Edwards, says his son Stan Edwards.
And when Stan Edwards talks about the athletes in his family, the native Detroiter is not talking about just any family that participated in sports. A high school All American in 1976 as a senior running back at Kettering High School, Stanley Edwards would take his talents to the University of Michigan, where he was a second team All Big Ten selection during his senior campaign, which paved the way for his entry into the NFL.
Stanley Edwards' son, Braylon, made quite the name for himself at Michigan as well, and by the time his collegiate days were over, Braylon Edwards was good enough to be the third overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft as a wide receiver. Other members of the family — Bailey Edwards, Berkley Edwards and Brandan Kearney — also have played for professional sports teams. And Stanley Edwards' son, Shakir, earned letters in football and track and field at Michigan.
However, Sam Edwards accomplished something as an athlete that his son, grandsons and other relatives never did, and Stan Edwards spoke about this accomplishment and more with a heavy heart on May 14 as he reflected on the life of his father, who died in Detroit on April 8 at the age of 87.
'As a ninth grader at Detroit's Miller High School, my dad made All-City in the 400-yard dash,' Stan Edwards proudly said about a period of his father's life during the 1950s when he attended the former Sidney D. Miller High School, located at 2322 DuBois, in what was then the historic Black Bottom neighborhood. 'My dad also played football at Miller High School where he was molded by two great coaches, Will Robinson (head football coach) and Leroy Dues (head track coach). He instilled that foundation into his family.'
Stan Edwards says his father, who supported his family as a cab driver in Detroit, often delivered guidance in a way that did not call attention to himself. This was the case when Stan had his coming out party as a star running back in the Detroit Public School League as a sophomore at Kettering in a game versus Chadsey played at the old Hammerberg Field, adjacent to Mackenzie High School.
'I started Kettering in the 10th grade. I was playing on the team with my older brother Steve after winning the starting job at tailback, and in this game I rushed for 110 yards on just a few carries, and I had about 60 or 70 yards by halftime,' recalled Stan Edwards, who as a child witnessed the construction of Kettering High School — opened in 1965 at 6101 Van Dyke — from across the street at his family's home on Townsend Street. 'There were guys coming out of the stands and onto the sidelines to congratulate me even as the game was still going on. And at one point, with all of these people around me, I looked out onto the field and there was my father watching from the other side of the fence — he hadn't even come into the stands. That's how my dad was. He could teach a class to these helicopter parents we have today. He would stay out of the game, and out of my way. But he was always there for his family.
'And he was masterful in his guidance, because when you did well, he always talked about that first. But then he would let you know that there was always another level to go to — another game, another challenge. He always kept a carrot in front of you.'
Braylon Edwards also points to how his grandfather motivated his family to 'sustain' excellence in athletics and life.
'I've always been attracted to intelligence and strength, and my granddad had both in spades,' Braylon Edwards explained by phone on the morning of May 14 as he was headed to an impromptu, informal reunion at Schembechler Hall on the University of Michigan campus that would reunite him with some former Michigan football players who played for coach Lloyd Carr. 'My granddad was Old School and he exuded strength and intelligence wherever he went. He was an amazing man and I learned to keep grinding from him.
"And he taught you that you have to be more than an athlete, because he was for his community and for his people.'
As a professional athlete, Braylon Edwards was a part of an era where many athletes received lucrative shoe deals. But Braylon's father shared a different kind of shoe story about Sam Edwards, where the proud father of seven children — Joanne, Steve, Stan, Sabrina, Saadia, Shakir and Nefertari — revealed his character and determination during the days when he lived in Black Bottom.
'There's a story about my dad playing barefoot in the gym as a young man because his mother couldn't afford to buy him gym shoes and he didn't want to mess up his Sunday church shoes,' Stan Edwards said about his father, whose family came to Detroit from Selma, Alabama. 'So, when I was playing and would think about that story as they were about to hand me the ball in the I-formation, the opposing team was going to have a problem bringing me down. It was the same way when I was running hills during training and started to get tired: I would think about my dad, and then I would straighten up and keep running, bro.
'But the thing is, my father never told me that story. I heard that from other people. My dad didn't talk about himself in that way. He led by example and everything centered around strength, leadership, discipline and accountability.'
More stories about Sam Edwards, also known in later years as Ishmael Bey, will be told during services announced by the family. On Friday, May 16, there will be a public visitation from 4-8 p.m. at the Heard Family Funeral Home, 1540 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit, 48208. On Saturday, May 17, at 2:30 p.m., a 'going-home service' will be held at Heard Family Funeral Home.
'My dad loved, loved, loved the city of Detroit,' Stan Edwards said about his father, whose life and legacy will be celebrated during the services. 'He was very proud to be a Detroiter.'
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Sam Edwards, who shaped lives of 'Michigan Men,' dies at 87
