Ex-Badgers linebacker T.J. Edwards went from undrafted to vital cog for Super Bowl-bound Eagles. Now he faces another ex-Badger, Leo Chenal
Former University of Wisconsin linebacker T.J. Edwards has been an essential cog for the Super Bowl-bound Philadelphia Eagles, working his way up from undrafted free agent to the best linebacker on an NFC champion team.
Edwards, 26, was named first-team All Pro by Pro Football Focus this year, and though he didn't make the Pro Bowl nor was he given an All-Pro spot from the Associated Press, he's had a huge fourth season in the league, with a career-best 159 tackles, two sacks, 10 tackles for loss and seven passes defended.
A four-year starter at Wisconsin, Edwards ran just a 4.87-second 40-yard dash at the Wisconsin pro day, slower than any official combine time of any drafted linebacker that season. Perhaps that's why the first-team All American as a junior in 2017 didn't hear his name at the draft.
After playing almost exclusively on special teams as a rookie, he saw an uptick in defensive snaps in 2020. Over the past two years, he's seen his special-teams work trimmed to almost nothing as an essential piece of a defense that ranked second in yards allowed per game in 2022 and was the NFL's stingiest against the pass.
Edwards finished with eight career sacks and 10 interceptions with the Badgers, including one returned for a touchdown. He was the defensive MVP in the Cotton Bowl when UW downed Western Michigan in early 2017. Edwards initially committed to Western Michigan before joining UW from Lakes Community High School in Lake Villa, Illinois.
Leo Chenal makes the Super Bowl in rookie season
Another former Badgers linebacker will be on the other sideline at the Super Bowl.
Leo Chenal, who's played both on special teams and on defense this season for the Kansas City Chiefs, will cap his rookie season in the biggest game of the season.
The 22-year-old started in eight games this year, though he's been almost exclusively on special teams in the playoffs. He finished the season with one sack, 35 tackles and three tackles for loss.
Chenal, the 103rd overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft (third round), was the Big Ten's linebacker of the year in 2021 and earned first-team All-American from the American Football Coaches Association before electing to turn pro as a junior. He had 11 career sacks in three years with the Badgers.
JR Radcliffe can be reached at (262) 361-9141 or jradcliffe@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JRRadcliffe.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Former Badgers T.J. Edwards, Leo Chenal to square off in Super Bowl
