Law school is not easy.

Neither is being a college football player.

How about doing both at the same time and not even being on a scholarship?

That’s exactly what Michigan State linebacker Sam Edwards is doing. Now in his fifth year in college, the walk-on has been a contributor on special teams in the past few seasons.

In 2022, he earned his first snaps as a Spartan. Edwards played 32 snaps, mostly on the kick return unit. Edwards played 137 special teams snaps in 2023. He was even the team’s starting long snapper on field goals and extra points for the final eight games of the year once Hank Pepper entered the transfer portal.

Edwards taught himself how to long snap in high school. He thought it would make himself more valuable for his team. It ended up paying off for Edwards and the Spartans last season and it’s paying off this season as he saw some time as the long snapper in Michigan State’s 40-0 win over Prairie View A&M. He was even named the special teams player of the game by head coach Jonathan Smith.

Edwards compared long snapping to riding a bike – once you learn how to do it, you never lose it.

“I’d kind of been messing around in camp before an evening walkthrough,” he said on Wednesday about how he told the MSU coaching staff that he could long snap. “I called the special teams coordinator and I was like, ‘Hey, just so you know, I have this in the bag if we ever need it.’”

With the coaching staff change following the 2023 season, Edwards could have left East Lansing. Unlike other players on the team, he could have left and gotten a scholarship to play elsewhere. He thought about it. Ultimately, it was his pride for the mid-Michigan area and his pride in being part of the start of a rebuild that led him to stay.

“The first team meeting with Coach Smith and just learning about him and getting to know him and what he’s about as a coach and a person, (I) really thought to myself this is something I want to be a part of to get this thing rolling,” Edwards said. “I think we’re doing the right thing here. We’re headed in the right direction and that’s meant a lot to me to be able to be a part of the start of that.”

It also didn’t hurt that Smith was a former walk-on himself during his playing days as Oregon State’s quarterback.

“Having a guy like him in that room being the head man, he was the perfect example of that sort of underdog walk-on,” Edwards said about Smith. “He did great things out there, taking them to the Fiesta Bowl and stuff, being very successful as a quarterback. And there’s plenty of stories here with guys like Blair White, Kenny Willekes, Jack Conklin and them. As a walk-on myself, you always look up to those stories and having one of those stories as your head coach has been pretty cool.”

Edwards also excels in the classroom. He completed his undergraduate path as a double major in political theory and constitutional democracy/international relations in May. He is completing his minor in political economy this fall as well. He also plans to finish law school. Edwards is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten recipient and Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honoree.

The academic side of things is another reason why he decided to stay at Michigan State rather than going somewhere else.

“Obviously, the academic side means a lot to me as well,” Edwards added. “I was deep in my program over at James Madison (College at MSU) I was going to finish that regardless. Just being around here, being a part of this was something I never wanted to give up.”

Edwards’ teammates notice what he’s doing on and off the field as a walk-on.

“He just puts his head down and works,” linebacker Jordan Turner said. “Being (in law school) while (being) a football player and without a scholarship, man, he just puts his head down and works. He’s just here for Michigan State. He’ll do whatever. You see it at the game last week. We needed a snapper. He went out and snapped the ball for a field goal. I love people like that.”

Edwards has been a walk-on his entire Michigan State career. He could have easily grown frustrated that he’s never gotten a scholarship, but it’s his love for the people and the program that makes him show up.

“I love this place,” Edwards explained. “I love the people in the building from down in academics to the nutrition to the training to the strength staff. I love this place. I love the people here. I love my teammates and always want to be there for them. I’m never going to ask for too much. All I can do is show up and work and get rewarded when you get rewarded, but I’m not necessarily in it for anything but what I can give to the team here and there.”

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