Ray Edwards

Games and Starts

(regular season, playoffs) 2006 (15/2). Total- 15/2.

Professional Biography

Will factor into the Vikings defensive line rotation in 2007...Made his presence felt as a rookie in 2006 with his pass rushing abilities and started 2 of the final 4 games…Played in more games (15) than any other rookie on the roster in 2006…Selected in the 4th round with the 127th pick (acquired from Indianapolis through Philadelphia) in the Artis Hicks trade…The 1st player selected by the Vikings out of Purdue since since 1976…Joins fellow DEs Darrion Scott (2004, Ohio State) and Erasmus James (2005, Wisconsin) as the Vikings drafted DEs from the Big Ten in 3 consecutive years.

NFL History

•  Tied for the Vikings lead with 5.0 sacks on the 2007 season.
• Started at RDE @ Detroit (9/16) and scored his 1^st career TD on a 9-yard fumble recovery of a J.T. O’Sullivan fumble forced by Kevin Williams. Ended game with 1.5 sacks and 5 QB hurries. 
• Suspended for the final 4 regular season games of the 2007 season by the NFL.
• Had a sack and forced fumble against Jon Kitna vs. Detroit (12/2).
• Sacked former Vikings QB Daunte Culpepper vs. Oakland (11/18), added a TFL and had 5 tackles.  
• Sacked Phillip Rivers vs. San Diego (11/3) and added 3 QB hurries and a forced fumble in the game.
• Notched a sack of Tony Romo @ Dallas (10/21) and had a forced fumble.
• Led Vikings linemen with 5 tackles, a forced fumble, a tackle for loss and 3 QB hurries @ Chicago (10/14).
• Started at RDE and had 4 tackles and 4 QB hurries vs. Green Bay (9/30).
• Started at RDE in 2007 opener vs. Atlanta (9/9) and tied for D-line lead with 7 tackles.
• His 3.0 sacks in 2006 was tied for 4^th among rookies in the NFC.
• As a rookie in 2006, notched 3.0 sacks and blocked a FG.
• Started a pair of games on the season, joining 5 of his 2006 draft classmates in starting a game in ‘06.
• Notched 1^st career sack when he caught J.P. Losman at Buffalo (10/1/06).  
• Left Purdue after his junior year and entered the NFL Draft.
• Ended college career with 15.5 career sacks.  

College Information

Finished his career tied for 7th on Purdue’s career sacks list with 16.0 and 15th with 24.5 tackles for loss…Played in 36 games with 18 starts during his three years with the Boilermakers…Named to Bronko Nagurski and Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year watch lists as a junior in 2005…Ranked 2nd on the team as a junior with 11.0 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks…Honorable mention All-Big Ten choice by coaches and the media in 2004…Semifinalist for Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year Award…Tied for team lead and tied for 2nd in the Big Ten with 8.0 sacks…A Big Ten All-Freshmen team choice by The Sporting News.

2005 Named to Bronko Nagurski and Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year Award watch lists…Played in 11 games with 6 starts and ranked 2^nd on the team with 11.0 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks…Matched his career high with 2.5 tackles for loss and added a sack at Arizona…Recorded season-high 2.0 sacks and intercepted the first pass of his career at Indiana…Had a season-high 4 tackles on three occasions.

2004 Honorable mention All-Big Ten choice by coaches and the media…Started all 12 games…Semifinalist for Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year Award…Shared team lead with Rob Ninkovich and ranked tied for 2^nd in the Big Ten with 8.0 sacks…His 8.0 sacks tied him for 11^th on the school’s all-time single-season list…Tied for 9^th in the Big Ten with 2 forced fumbles and was 2^nd on the team with 11.0 tackles for loss…Had a career-high 2.5 tackles for loss vs. Syracuse…Posted career-high 5 tackles at Illinois and recovered a fumble to stop an Illini comeback attempt with 34 seconds remaining in the game…Posted a career-high 2.5 sacks, forced a fumble and equaled career-high with 5 tackles at Notre Dame…Matched his career-high for tackles with 5 at Northwestern, vs. Ohio State and vs. Arizona State in Sun Bowl…Also forced a fumble in Sun Bowl vs. the Sun Devils.

2003 Played in all 13 games as a reserve DE as a true freshman…Big Ten All-Freshman team choice by The Sporting News…Recorded 10 tackles and 2.5 sacks and a fumble recovery as he was used primarily in 3^rd-down passing situations…Posted first career sack vs. Penn State…Recovered a fumble vs. Northwestern…Had a sack vs. Iowa…Registered a season-high 2 tackles at Wake Forest, vs. Arizona and vs. Penn State.

Personal Biography

Majored in physical education...Active in the community as a rookie, joining with LensCrafters to
provide eye test and glasses through the Give The Gift of Sight Program.

Became the 1st Viking to block a FG since Eric Kelly in 2002 when he blocked Dave Rayner’s attempt at Green Bay (12/21/06).

Tied Jayme Mitchell for the team lead for sacks among rookies with 3.0 in 2006.