The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

FORMER National Football League wide receiver Kelvin Edwards is a regular visitor to the Bahamas.

But he was even more thrilled to have been in town to watch the Bahamas Basketball Federation's Summer of Thunder games last week.

Edwards, drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the 4th round with the 88th pick overall in 1986, went on to play for the Dallas Cowboys (1987-1988), and San Francisco 49ers ('91) before he ended his career with the Canadian Football League ('91) and the Arena Football League ('93).

Now an owner of a car dealership in Dallas, Texas, Edwards said he developed a lot of relationships with Bahamians when he attended Liberty University in Virginia. He even met and married his first wife from the Bahamas.

"You've had some great athletes who competed for Liberty University," said Edwards, who watched Michael 'Scooter' Reid play basketball for Liberty University, while Gina Gibson ran track.

Edwards specially came to town on this trip to support his son, Kyler Edwards, a guard with the Texas Tech Red Raiders as they played in the BBF's Summer of Thunder Tournament at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.

"He (Tyler) wants to play in the NBA one day, so I'm here to support him," said Edwards. "So I'm here to support him and the rest of the team and to make sure that they all stay on the right track."

As for his trip here, the 55-year-old Edwards said it's like being at home, reuniting with people like Bahamian businessman and politician Greg Burrows, who is a cousin of Edwards' first wife.

"The people here are great, the food is great and everybody here really knows how to entertain people when they come here from other countries," he said.

Burrows, a former Progressive Liberal Party senator, said not only has he followed Edwards as a Cowboys' fan, but they have enjoyed a relationship that spans more than 30 years.

"He's a businessman, so I'm always interested in talking about that and he's a football man and a former Dallas Cowboy, so we have some things in common," Burrows said. "It's good when you can sit around and watch and talk sports. So we're just here hanging out and having a good time."

Compared to when he frequented the Bahamas in the 1980s and '90s, Edwards said a lot has changed and there's more that persons can do as individuals and even from a family perspective.

As for his past experience in the NFL, Edwards said "once a Cowboy, you will always be a Cowboy because Dallas is considered to be America's football team. So no matter where you go, you will also be a Dallas Cowboy."