Edwards was the first African-American student-athlete in the history of intercollegiate sports at WVU. This so-called barrier was shattered on Friday, March 17, 1961, when Edwards spent his first day of practice as a member of the Mountaineer track team.

Edwards attended Morgantown High school where he excelled in track. However, before deciding to attend WVU, he was offered a partial scholarship to Marshall University. He also received scholarship offers from Tuskegee Institute, in Alabama, but decided on WVU, where he had no scholarship.

Edwards, when questioned about breaking the color barrier, stated, "I came out for track to make the team, not to break any color barrier."

As a senior at the Southern Conference Championships, which WVU won for the first time since 1933, Edwards set a new stadium record in the triple jump with a jump of 46 feet, one-fourth inches, surpassing the former mark of 44 feet, 10 and on-eighth inches. At that meet he helped the team effort by scoring 70 points. 

Courtesy The Daily Athenaeum, Tuesday, March 28, 1961-Dan Stubbs