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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Marty Maciaszek, NSGA Director of Communications
mmaciaszek@nsga.org
(847) 296-NSGA (6742), ext. 1260
DOWNERS GROVE, ILLINOIS (March 24, 2022) – Herm Edwards has overcome significant challenges to achieve football success as a player, coach and television analyst.
Edwards’ famous phrase, “You play to win the game,” was born out of a difficult stretch in 2002 during his coaching stint with the New York Jets. He accepted another big challenge in December 2017 when he returned to the sideline as the head football coach at Arizona State University after nine years in front of the television camera.
Edwards will share his experiences from his career and the demands of coaching in college football’s current landscape as a keynote speaker of the National Sporting Goods Association’s Management Conference & Team Dealer Summit on Tuesday, May 24 in Scottsdale, Arizona. Edwards was originally scheduled to speak at the 2020 Conference & Summit in Tucson, Arizona that was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are excited we have a second opportunity for Herm Edwards to share his inspirational message with this year’s attendees of the Management Conference,” said Matt Carlson, NSGA President & CEO. “Herm has overcome a lot of obstacles to succeed and his stories will strike a chord with everyone in the sporting goods industry and the challenges they currently face.”
There were a lot of questions when Edwards decided to come back to coaching after a successful run as an NFL analyst for ESPN television and radio. Edwards responded by compiling a 25-18 record in four seasons in charge of the Sun Devils with three winning seasons and three Bowl Game trips.
Edwards’ ability to overcome challenges was evident early in his life as he played collegiately at the University of California and San Jose State but was not selected in the NFL draft. Edwards made the Philadelphia Eagles roster and started a 10-year career as a cornerback. That included a Super Bowl trip in 1980 and one of the most iconicmoments in NFL history in 1978 when he returned a fumble in the final seconds for a touchdown to beat the New York Giants in a game known as “The Miracle at the Meadowlands.”
Edwards was the first graduate of the NFL’s Minority Coaching Fellowship in 1987 and eventually worked his way to become an NFL head coach for eight years with the Jets and Kansas City Chiefs from 2001-08. One of his four playoff teams was the 2002 Jets, who lost 5 of their first 7 games, but responded to Edwards’ “you play to win the game” challenge by winning 7 of their final 9 games and a Wild Card game.
In 2003, Edwards was named a member of the National Advisory Committee of the Positive Coaching Alliance and he is also active in numerous charitable and philanthropic endeavors, including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) and the Herm Edwards Youth Foundation. He co-authored the book You Play to Win the Game – Leadership Lessons for Success On and Off the Field with ESPN’s Shelley Smith. He is a dedicated golfer who appeared on the Golf Channel’s original series “The Haney Project” with pro instructor Hank Haney, who spoke at NSGA’s 2017 Conference & Summit.
Edwards continues NSGA’s tradition of presenting speakers unlike any event in the sporting goods industry, including basketball Hall of Famers Bill Walton and coaches Mike Krzyzewski of Duke and Tom Izzo of Michigan State, legendary baseball iron man Cal Ripken, Jr., Super Bowl champion quarterback Joe Theismann, world champion boxer Sugar Ray Leonard and outspoken golf analyst David Feherty. Registration is open for the Management Conference & Team Dealer Summit, which starts May 22, and you can click here to get more information or to register today.
There will be more announcements coming about the rest of the speaker lineup and education sessions for the Management Conference & Team Dealer Summit. Speed Networking, one of the most popular features of the event, returns in the afternoon of Monday, May 23 as retailers and team dealers have the opportunity to talk with manufacturers in a series of short, structured meetings.
The Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction Ceremony will cap off the event on Tuesday evening with the induction of Eric Bezanson (Cleve’s Source For Sports), Michael Gotfredson (Road Runner Sports) and Bill Sorenson (American Sports Products Group). For more information on the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame, please visit nsga.org/hall-of-fame/.
About NSGA
The National Sporting Goods Association has served as the leading voice for the sporting goods industry since 1929. NSGA is devoted to providing a competitive edge to sporting goods retailers and team dealers through industry leading research, networking, advocacy, and unmatched customer support. For more information about membership or NSGA’s products and services, please visit nsga.org.
About the NSGA Management Conference & Team Dealer Summit
The NSGA Management Conference & Team Dealer Summit is the longest-running and most successful leadership event in the sporting goods industry. Top executives and decision-makers from sporting goods retailers, team dealers, manufacturers, sales agencies and industry supporting vendor companies gather for education, best-in-class networking, dynamic speakers and industry recognition at the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame induction. For more information, visit https://nsga.org/events/2022-management-conference–team-dealer-summit/.