Jets wide receiver Braylon Edwards is a man of his word. And because he is, 100 students are going to college on his dime.
In 2007, Edwards promised 100 Cleveland high school students that he would pay for their college tuition—a total value of $1 million—if they maintained grade point averages at 2.5 or higher and performed 15 hours of community service. The students lived up to their end of the bargain, and now Edwards is living up to his end, according to CBSSports.com and the Detroit Free Press.
“As the 2nd most hated man in Clev & a man of my word, today I will honor a promise made to 100 students in Cleveland years ago,” Edwards tweeted. “The last of my Advance 100 students will graduate from my program and head off to college on scholarships that I will provide them with. Guys, enjoy and embrace your new beginnings and remember your promise to me, to reach back & help someone else along the way.”
A former University of Michigan receiver and a Detroit native, Edwards, 28, was a first-round draft pick of the Browns in 2005. His time in Cleveland was sometimes marked by controversy and in October 2009, the Browns traded him to the Jets.
Edwards, who caught 53 passes for 904 yards and seven touchdowns last season, is currently unsigned but says he would like to return to the Jets. The team has two other free-agent receivers in Santonio Holmes and Brad Smith, and it seems unlikely they’ll be able to sign all three.