Fordham’s Chase Edmonds Selected by Arizona in Fourth Round of NFL Draft
Running back becomes highest drafted Ram since 1943
Fordham University running back Chase Edmonds was selected today by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round (134th overall pick) in the 2018 NFL Draft. He is the highest Fordham draft pick since Steve Filipowicz was taken in the first round (sixth overall pick) by the New York Giants in 1943.
Edmonds is the first Ram to be selected in the NFL draft since John Skelton was also taken by the Cardinals in the fifth round back in 2010 and the third since 1968 (Ken Parker was taken in the 16th round by the Giants in 1968).
The 2017 Patriot League preseason offensive player of the year, Edmonds was limited by injuries last fall but still managed to garner second team All-League accolades. He rushed 136 times for 577 yards and five scores in seven games last fall and caught eleven passes for 129 yards. Despite missing four games to injury, Edmonds ranked fourth in the Patriot League in total rushing yards.
As a junior in 2016, Edmonds was a consensus first team All-American, finishing fourth in voting for the Walter Payton Award. He led the NCAA FCS in rushing yards per game (163.5) and was second in total rushing yards as well as ranking second in all-purpose yards per game (194.6) and third in rushing touchdowns. The 1,799 yards was just 39 yards shy of Edmonds’ school single season record set in 2014.
Against Lafayette on October 8, 2016, Edmonds rushed for a school and Patriot League record 359 yards (the most by an NCAA Division I player last year) on just 17 carries, averaging 21.1 yards per carry, setting an NCAA FCS record for most yards gained per rush in a game. The former mark was 19.07 set by VMI’s Gene Brown in 1988. Edmonds surpassed his own school and Patriot League record of 347 yards, set in 2015 against Lehigh.
Edmonds, who received the Jerry Rice Award as a freshman in 2014 as the top NCAA FCS rookie and the Patriot League and ECAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2015, closed out his career with 5,862 career rushing yards along with 74 career touchdowns and 67 career rushing touchdown, all school and Patriot League records. His 5,862 career rushing yards is fifth best in NCAA FCS history while his 67 career rushing touchdowns is fourth best and his career rushing yards/game average of 133.2 is 14th best. He also amassed 7,374 career all-purpose yards, a school and Patriot League career record, tenth best in NCAA FCS history.
Edmonds was named recipient of the 2017 Danowski Award, given annually to the football player who through his leadership, sacrifice, and commitment to excellence upon the field of play and within the University community exemplifies the character of Danowski, a former Fordham player and head coach.
It’s no surprise that Edmonds was taken by the Cardinals as Fordham has a long tradition with Cardinals:
Arizona Cardinals
Chase Edmonds (2018 – 4th round)
John Skelton (2010 – 10th round)
St. Louis Cardinals
Frankie “The Fordham Flash” Frisch (Baseball Hall of Famer)
Jack Butler (1904)
Chicago Cardinals
Al Babartsky (1938 – 5th round)
John Kuzman (1941 – 7th round)
Mike Kochel (1939 – 19th round)
Cardinals of the Catholic Church
Eight – most recently Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J. (elevated in 2001 – the first American theologian who was not a bishop to be appointed to the College of Cardinals)
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