
Know Mayor Coach Sid Edwards Through People He Has Touched
During Inauguration ceremonies for Coach Sid Edwards as the new Mayor-President, former Rep. Woody Jenkins was asked to introduce Coach Sid. He did so in an unusual way. He called upon men who Sid had coached or trained to be coaches and let them tell his story.
WOODY JENKINS: A few months ago, Coach Sid and I were riding on Plank Road in 70805 looking at all the problems. We passed the McDonald’s, the first McDonald’s in Baton Rouge. He said, “Turn right here. That’s where Tony’s Seafood began as a fruit stand. Turn right here on Cannon Street!”
We drove down Cannon Street to the place where he grew up. He said, “I wonder if Mr. Brooks is still there? He was our next-door neighbor.” We stopped at a vacant lot. “Our home used to be there,” Sid said. Pointing next door, he said, “That’s where Mr. Brooks lived! I think he is still alive.”
Sid knocked on the door, and there was Mr. Brooks! He was 97 years old and still living in North Baton Rouge! At first, he didn’t recognize Coach Sid. Then he did and was so happy to see him. He invited us in. Mr. Brooks had just experienced a miracle. He and his wife were both diagnosed with cancer and given two weeks to live. She took the chemotherapy but passed away two weeks later. He refused chemotherapy. He had an ugly cancer on his face that the doctors said was inoperable. He showed us pictures. It was an ugly sphere the size of a satsuma.
The family was praying for him. Then one night he felt something strange happening to his face. When he woke up, the cancer had simply fallen away. I have the before-and-after pictures, and they are amazing. He reminded us of the power of prayer. Mr. Brooks said he and his daughter were the only whites left in the neighborhood, but he loves it. His neighbors treat him very well, he said.
Coach, Mr. Brooks wanted to come today, but his health wouldn’t permit it. However, he is watching.
After living a few years on Cannon Street, the Edwards moved away . By the time, young Sid was 16, he was already dreaming of being a coach. However, people thought he was too young even to coach the neighborhood team. They were reluctant to trust their children with such a youngster.
However, he finally got a team to coach and they became winners.
Not long afterwards, Sid got a chance to coach at Catholic High. Again, they said he was too young.
Coach Sid has such a great record as a high school coach with 202 victories — one of the greatest records in Louisiana football history! However, when you look at his record as the 9th grade coach at Catholic High, it’s even more amazing! As a 9th grade coach, his record was 105 victories and four losses!
I’d like to tell a little bit more about Coach Sid, but as I do, I’d like to ask a few people to come up. Let’s see. First, how about Neil Weiner, the coach at Dunham High School. And how about Joe Richey who was on the 2002 Redemptorist basketball team that won the state championship and is the son of my best friend, Dan Richey. And how about Coach David Brewerton of Zachary High School. Finally, Kyree Paul and Jeremiah Coleman, two of the stars of the current Istrouma team. Finally, former Metro Councilman Darrell Glasper, please come up.
It’s really amazing to think about those early days in the 1990s when Coach Sid was at Catholic High. There was a young man so typical of those he coached, Neil Weiner. Neil went on to have a great success as an assistant coach for Coach and this year at Dunham he was undefeated and ended up in the Dome. Neil, tell about Coach Sid.
NEIL WEINER (Dunham head coach): “First of all I’m happy to do anything for Coach Sid. Just 15 years ago, he was named a High School Legend of Louisiana and National Coach of the Year. Another great legend, Boots Garland, said that high school coaching is about passing the buck but Sid, you have won everywhere you have been and you give credit to everyone. Today we are happy to honor you and tell you how proud we are of you and all you are going to do for Baton Rouge.”
WOODY JENKINS: Next is Joe Richey, an outstanding player on the Redemptorist team that won the State Championship. You know, it was in a two-year period that Coach Sid had three state championships — two in football and one in basketball. This morning Joe drove all the way from Lake Charles to be here. Joe is a great coach, a great husband, and a great father, but he’s also battling Stage 4 cancer. He’s fighting for his life right now. Say a few words, Joe.
JOE RICHEY (member of Coach Sid’s State Championship basketball team in 2002): “My dad Dan Richey asked me a question once. He said, ‘What is it like before a game in the locker room with Coach Sid? What does he say that makes you so dominant?’”
“I told him you just have to be in the locker room to see, to understand. Coach Sid is a masterful motivator. I told him I would take a bullet for Coach. I would run through a brick wall for him.”
“I moved to Lake Charles to attend McNeese, and I’ve lived there since high school. At Redemptorist, I didn’t play football just basketball in my junior year. We played Sam Houston High School at home in the semifinals and won. So I am in my first class at McNeese. I’ve got a green Redemptorist shirt on and there are eight or nine guys looking at me. I said, ‘What’s up?’ One said, ‘We went to Sam Houston and y’all whipped our ass!’ They talked about the game. It’s funny. They said they were really intimidated playing such a great powerhouse on Plank Road. I said, ‘You know Redemptorist was always a basketball school until Coach arrived, and he made it a football school too.’ I’m so happy to be here today. I love you guys!”
WOODY JENKINS: Coach Sid’s transition team is full of great people who’ve made a wonderful contribution to Baton Rouge. Co-chairmen is former Metro Council Darrell Glasper. Our other co-chairman Sen. Rick Edmonds is not able to be here today because of a previous engagement. I’d like to ask Darrell to come and pray for Joe Richey
and the struggle he is going through.
DARRELL GLASPER (co-chairman of Transition Team): led a prayer by the entire assembly to heal and restore Joe Richey from Stage 4 cancer.
WOODY JENKINS: As editor of the Central City News I’ve had the opportunity to watch Coach Sid speak to his teams over 150 times. I’ve noticed he never talks to them about football. He talks about being a good son, a good father, a good member of the community. He started a group called Men for Others at every school where he’s been. During the summer and throughout the year, the football team helps people. They may be painting an elderly person’s home or cutting grass or something that needs done. Service above self.
You might be surprised that Coach Sid prides himself in not being an expert on football. In fact, one of the funny things during the campaign occurred when he was speaking to the Reagan luncheon. He said, “I don’t know much about the x’s and the o’s, and he pointed to one of his assistant coaches in the room, and said, “Coach, on a scale of one to 10, how much do I know about football?” The coach hesitated and finally said, “Coach, about a five!” There was laughter. But do you know what Sid Edwards does? He surrounds himself with great assistants — a great offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, and special teams coordinator. And that’s exactly what I think he’ll do as Mayor-President.
Someone else I’d like you to meet is David Brewerton. He’s an example of someone who’s coached under Coach Sid, but who also competes against Coach Sid. One of the things that I’ve enjoyed watching is his former assistant coaches trying to beat their old mentor, Coach Sid.
I want you to meet Coach David Brewerton, who has won many state and district championships at the great Zachary High School.
DAVID BREWERTON (head football coach at Zachary High): “I had the pleasure knowing Sid Edwards a long time. He coached me in the sixth grade and the ninth grade. Then he hired me right out of college. He had a profound impact on my life.”
“I was 23 years old in my first year coaching for Sid. It was Thanksgiving day at my parents house. He said come pick me up. I said well what’s wrong, Coach. He said nothing wrong. Just come pick me up. I go pick him up and said where are we going? He said head to North Baton Rouge. I figured we’re going to Redemptorist. He said turn in behind Tony’s Seafood. I pull around the back and all of a sudden people start coming out of the back loading boxes into the back of my truck. I said what are we doing? He said it’s all right, you’ll see. He said pull out. He said take a right, then a left, then a right and pull into the driveway. I said you’ve lost your mind. He said, ‘You trust me?’ I said yeah I trust you. He said OK, grab one of those boxes out back and go knock on the door and hand it to the person who answers. I said now wait, I’m a South Baton Rouge boy and I’m a little nervous. He said go back and get that box and hand it to him. I said OK. I grabbed the box and knocked on the door. The door opened. It’s our starting middle linebacker Chris Williams! He said,
“Hey Coach, how are you?” And I’m looking at the situation inside the house. It was hard. ‘So how are you doing Coach?’ Then his mom walked out and said, ‘Hi Coach!’ I told her Coach Sid is in the truck and here is Thanksgiving dinner. She said, ‘Coach, I’m ashamed to tell you, but they turned off the electricity. I don’t have a way to cook it.’ I said it’s already cooked. It’s heated up, ready to eat. She said thank you so much. I turned around and walked to my truck, got in the truck, and I couldn’t turn the key. I just sat there. Coach Sid said, ‘Brew, the good coaches out there understand the x’s and the o’s, but the great coaches go out of their way to understand the people they coach and to love them. You have to understand that if you’re gonna understand this profession!’”
“That’s just one story out of thousands I could tell you about this man. Coach Sid, I want to congratulate you tonight, but Baton Rouge, I’m congratulating you too, because what you did was a wonderful thing. People gravitate to this man sitting right here. It doesn’t matter who they are. He brings unity, a vision, and a blueprint for every challenge we face. Get ready for a great ride!
WOODY JENKINS: I’d like you to meet a couple of Coach Sid‘s current football players at Istrouma High School. They’re pretty awesome — All-State All-District. These guys are going to play college ball and go as far as they want to go. Kyree Paul and Jeremiah Coleman.
KYREE PAUL: “I want to thank you Coach Sid for all you did for me and all you did for our team!”
JEREMIAH COLEMAN: I’m so thankful to you for everything you did for us, Coach!”
So Baton Rouge you’ve got a winner. Congratulations! Let’s get it done.
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