Looking Back on TJ Edwards' 2023 MVP Season
Published on January 19, 2024 under Indoor Football League (IFL)
Frisco Fighters News Release
When others might have pumped the brakes, TJ Edwards stomped on the gas pedal.
Trailing by a point late last season on the road against the Iowa Barnstormers, two ticks remained in the first half as the Frisco Fighters gained possession. More often than not, teams elect to drain the clock, regroup at the midway point, and try to spark things out of the break.
The Fighters, however, didn't have a run-of-the-mill signal-caller.
"We were a high-scoring offense - one of the top offenses in the league," Edwards said of the attack he operated, one that ranked behind only the Arizona Rattlers in points per game (53.6), yards per game (251.9), and total touchdowns (113) last season. "No matter how we started, we always knew that it could be one play to get things going. ... We still wanted to be aggressive no matter what was going on in the game."
Out of the shotgun, he took the snap on his goal line, dropped back, and shuffled from the "O" to the "R" in the team yellow-painted team nickname in the end zone. Then, Edwards let loose.
"We were down and we didn't have any momentum and we were kind of struggling offensively there," Frisco coach Andre Coles recalled. "And he throws that Hail Mary up and we come down with it and score to end the half. I think that just gave us so much life.
"I think, at that moment, was when everybody was like, 'Yeah, this guy is the MVP of the league.'"
Edwards rightfully earned that honor. He paced the Indoor Football League with 2,600 passing yards and 49 rushing scores. On the ground, only Massachusetts' Jimmie Robinson and Bay Area's Justin Rankin had more than Edwards' 853 yards.
"It just was time," Coles said. "It was his second year in (the offense). The first year, he didn't come in as a starter. ... It was just putting in the time. The one thing that was different this year than last year was his film study and his dedication to doing things outside of practice.
"He prepared just as much as us coaches did."
No longer sharing the role behind center, Edwards starred, guiding the Fighters to a 14-3 overall record - including that 51-35 regular season-ending win in Des Moines - and the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
"I was able to fully focus on really just getting better," Edwards said. "Gaining continuity and trust with my guys. You know, really just looking to dominate."
His shiftiness and arm talent were just as important as his know-how.
"Very few players have that ability to just make that one break-away, kind of elite, play or MVP play to change the game," Coles said. "Sometimes, he would wiggle his way out of stuff, or he'd make a throw or make a run where you're just kind of shocked. Like, 'What?' As long as he was on the field, we were always one play away."
As Edwards ventures back outdoors - he's currently aiming to latch onto a team in the newly-formed United Football League - his body of work as a consummate quarterback should be noticeable. He was able to diagnose a defense and work with Coles on how to carve it up.
"The indoor game is so fast and you have to make decisions so much quicker than you do outside," the coach said. "I think the work that he put in with his throwing mechanics and his footwork - all the stuff you don't see, the behind-the-scenes work - I think it's going to help him.
"Because, if he's dangerous in the little box that we play in, imagine him with space."
There will be some adjustments - such as an increased amount of coverage looks to pick up on - but nothing Edwards isn't used to.
"When I train, I train outdoors," Edwards said. "I really focus my off-season training based around the outdoor game. As far as throwing, timing on the full hundred-yard (field), nothing will be different. It'll just be me getting back into the full flow of things."
Indoor Football League Stories from January 19, 2024
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- Looking Back on TJ Edwards' 2023 MVP Season - Frisco Fighters
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