Glen Edwards played free safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers between 1971 and 1977. He was an important member of the infamous “Steel Curtain” Steelers defense and won two Pro Bowls. Most notably, Edwards won two Super Bowls (IX and X) and became a Pittsburgh legend for his performances on the grandest stage in the NFL.
In Super Bowl IX, the Steelers defeated the Minnesota Vikings 16 to 6. Edwards intercepted Fran Tarkenton in the end zone on the last play of the game. In Super Bowl X, the Steelers defeated the Dallas Cowboys 21 to 17 in the old Orange Bowl stadium. Edwards intercepted Roger Staubach in the end zone, but this time to seal the game for the Steelers.
“That was my territory,” Edwards told the Palm Beach Post in 2010, “No one was going to catch no ball. The ball just popped right into my hands. It was a heck of a feeling.”
Getty| Despite his success on the field, Glen Edwards struggled after leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Why Did Glen Edwards Sell His Super Bowl Ring for $20?
In the same interview, Glen Edwards discussed losing his Super Bowl rings to addiction. The Steelers traded Glen Edwards to the San Diego Chargers in 1978. He eventually left the NFL in 1981, fell on hard times had lots of jobs, and developed an addiction to cocaine until the year 2000 or so.
During his battle with addiction, Glen Edwards gave his Super Bowl X ring, gold with two-carat diamonds, to a drug dealer as collateral for a $20 loan that he never repaid. Edwards also said his Super Bowl IX ring disappeared after he left it with a friend during a stint in rehab. He may have only sold one and lost the other, but $20 for two pieces of sports history is a tragedy.
“It turned out to be my worst nightmare. I think about it every day,” said Edwards, who will turn 78 at the end of July. “I am always hearing, ‘Hey, where are your rings? Let me see your rings.’ You can’t imagine how that feels to say I can’t produce them,” said Edwards. “I haven’t seen them in a long time.”
Riddled with IRS debt and limited money, he continued, “You hear these stories. ‘He’s so bad off he’s sold his Steelers’ Super Bowl rings,’ or ‘The IRS took ’em away,'” Edwards said with indifference. “I don’t care what people say. Let ’em say what they want.”
Getty| The metal and gold rings may be lost in time, but the Super Bowl wins are a part of NFL history forever.
How Is Glen Edwards Doing Today?
Glen Edwards is haunted by the past. He detailed that when he was playing for the Steelers, he could have bought anything he wanted. His children never wanted for anything. After all these years, Edwards uses his story as a cautionary tale for today’s football players in the NFL.
“I tell guys now that there are three steps in football: they get you, they trade you, and they get rid of you for good,” Edwards remarked. “Until a guy experiences that third step, you never know what it’s like. If your age doesn’t get you, your salary will.”
Glen Edwards is now retired after over a decade in construction. He lives in Palm Beach, Florida, and still keeps in touch with his old teammates. He has made peace with his mistakes.
“One day, all this stuff’s going to turn around,” Edwards said. “I read the Bible every once in a while. I know this is a test, that everything happens for a reason. I ain’t done nothin’ wrong.”
Glen Edwards still cheers for the Steelers every season and often wonders how the Steel Curtain defense would adapt to today’s game.
