September 5, 2025 • 11 mins
The only undrafted rookie free agent to make the Indianapolis Colts roster this season was Johnathan Edwards. He joins the show to talk about his journey from being overlooked in St. Louis as a recruit, what Curt Mallory meant to him during his time at Indiana State, reveals when he started feeling like he belonged in the NFL during training camp, and admits that he wouldn’t have had it any other way on his path to the NFL.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Jonathan Edwards is speaking of impressive. He has been exactly that,
which is why, as an undrafted free agent, he has
made the roster of the Indianapolis Colts as a cornerback
who comes by way of Tulane, but his first stop
at Indiana State and Parkway North High School in Saint Louis.
Joins us on the show. Jonathan, how are you.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
I'm doing well, Jake, how are you?
Speaker 1 (00:20):
I am great? Thank you? Now they said you had
an emergency meeting. Everything's okay, right, Oh.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Everything's good. Yeah, we just had a meeting of defense system,
knocking out some last minus players only meeting.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
So okay, Well, we want to make sure that everything's okay.
And I don't want to take you away from anything.
It's of utter importance. Oh, let's begin with this now.
I know I was just talking about this. I used
to work in Saint Louis. I know a little about
Saint Louis and I know about Parkway North And feel
free to disagree with me here. But in Saint Louis,
especially athletically, there are so many rivalries and so many
(00:53):
great athletes that are at the private parochial schools like
once the adjacent Tatum or a David Lee like gets
to a certain level end up at CBC or De
Smet And so I think sometimes like the Parkway North's
for example, or Central's, I'm not going to say chip
on the shoulder, but it doesn't get the attention in
Saint Louis like the other schools, and that can kind
(01:14):
of fuel a drive in you. Is that true? And
did you feel it?
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Absolutely? Like I remember growing up in high school always
being underlooked. You know, everybody talked about CBC, the Smith
you know, I don't know Trinity, that's not a school anymore,
but that was a popular school during my time high school.
And I just remember like always wishing that I had
a chance to be to compete with those guys more
often than we did, but definitely with a chip on
(01:41):
our shoulder from guys and public schools who we were
a class for school. So that definitely was something that
drove me.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Well okay, And so with that you end up, you know,
other guys are going to say, you know, Missoo or
Illinois or you know, wherever it may be. And nothing
against Indiana State in any way, shape or form, but
you end up in Indiana State, which obviously you know
at that time you were not listed to say a
four or five star recruit. So was that And I
(02:12):
know Indiana State was good for you, don't get me wrong,
but but did that also did that drive in that
inferiority complex that you didn't want to settle in on you?
Did it continue to motivate you at that point?
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Yeah? Absolutely. I remember me going to Indiana State and
me remembering, like, God, not to knock anybody, but you
remember in high school you see guys posting all over
the place, how many offers they're getting. Like you talked
about Miszoo and Illinois, Like I never received a letter
or anything from Zoo or Illinois. So I just remember, like, man,
like that's kind of crazy. I was an in state guy,
(02:47):
never having those opportunities or my name never being out there,
and then Indiana State taking a shot on me, and
then me being developed there and receiving great coach and
like you said, like it's a smaller school, but I've
been fitted most as a man train. They're developing my
game and getting to where I am now. So I
have to credit Indiana State coach Mallory a lot for
(03:08):
my progress over my younger years.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
And so therefore was it difficult, I guess to know that,
you know, here was a school, and I get the
respect and the love and the appreciation you have for
what Indiana State offered. But once again you kind of
had to take like this this gamble on yourself and say, look,
I need to get to a place where I'm going
to be seen. And even then you weren't necessarily seen it,
(03:34):
tu Lane, but take me through that whole process and
just kind of the mixed emotions of leaving that behind
because you knew you had to get to another level.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Yeah, it was a hard decision. I remember, like really
going back and forth with it. I remember I had,
you know, thought in my head when I was younger,
maybe I could leave, but I never felt like the
situation was right, and I didn't. I never was a
guy who just wanted to jump ship because seen like
it was on the other side. I wanted to graduate.
I wanted to just continue to develop my game, and
(04:06):
when that time came, I just had my head. I
had to take a shot on myself, Like you said,
I want to get to the highest level. And then
even if she was in Tulane, I was thinking like
because like the new playoff, and I had much belief
and coach summer on what they were doing in the
lane and winning conference championships, and I was like, man,
we can have a chance to compete at the college playoff.
(04:26):
There was a need of the position, so I jumped
on Tulane because obviously, like there was a great opportunity
for me.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
And so yeah, but even then, after your year in
Tulane and you had a good year, right, but after
that year in Tulane, you still had to kind of
ship away and let other guys get seen before you, right, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Yeah, it's it's kind of been my story, like like
you said, like having just happened, just like a sort
of like had to be payment. It's being patient, grinding
and keeping my head down and not trying to look
at anybody else, being in my own land. That's been
the same song I've been singing all my life. So
it's like that's my motivation now, like staying ready, staying
(05:11):
of course, and keeping my head down and just working.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
My guest is Jonathan Edwards, the cornerback of the Colts,
the only member of the roster that was initially when
the fifty three man announced that was an undrafted free
agent to make the squad. Jonathan, The reason I ask
all of that is to then bring it to this
question and just kind of think about it for a second.
If it makes sense when I ask it. If you
(05:38):
had gone out of Parkway North High School and you
had been able to do in the gymnasium the caps
of Maszoo and Illinois and you know, I'll throw what
you know Louisville in there whatever and get the pomp
and circumstance that comes with being a big recruit and
having that that stage right away for you. If it
(05:59):
had gone that wait for you, would we be having
this conversation with you as an NFL player.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
I mean, that's that's talks we get to have of
ourselves all the time. Like the law has planned every
step of my life, and everything has happened for a reason,
and I wouldn't want to change any other way it's happened.
Like I wouldn't change anything if I could go back
and do it over again, I wouldn't even say I
want to be drafted. Like everything that's happened has been
for my good and has benefited me so much, And
(06:29):
I can stand here at today and say that with
much confidence, like, man, I wouldn't rewrite anything.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
So, yeah, is it weird to go into practice and
have to do reps and occasionally, you know, lay a
hit on Will Mallory knowing that you played for Kurt Mallory.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
It's funny. It's funny because like every time we see him,
I always see, well, it's like, man, like that was
my old coach next you, and we always have good conversations.
He always when I first got here, he made sure
to like introduce himself and God's here is just that's
just the model here, Like we just got guys with
great character, not only Will, but just the whole locker
room guys. That's welcoming from day one. So but it's
(07:06):
cool though, because I went to the golf out of
Indian the state over in May and Will made his
way over there also, So it was cool knowing that.
It's kind of like, you know, people of the same people.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
So what did Kurt Mallory mean to you? Not just
as a player, but just being away from home for
the first time perhaps and being in a new area
and just having that guidance. What did Kurt Mallory the
Man mean to you.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
Coach Mally the man I really appreciate so much because
we have similar values here on the coach that he
has in the United State, like setting a very high
standard but having a high character while we do everything.
So it's like little things like being fifteen minutes early
to the meeting. It created good values for me a
young man to just want to not just stroll in
(07:53):
but just be a guy who can be dependent on time,
or just setting the standard in the weight room, like
being in it. It's not always for glitz and glamour,
but just me and somebody that just wants to work
hard and take the results that you worked for. Honestly,
I remember him saying words like us working hard only
gives us a chance. So if you don't work hard,
you don't have a chance at all. But even if
(08:15):
you work hard, winning games is hard. So I just
remember stuff like that, like saying like we have that's
the least we can do. Working hard as the least
you can do to give yourself a chance. So little
things like that I take away a lot.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
So Jonathan, I could probably sit here and talk to
you for three hours. I know you got places to
be and things to do. I didn't want to, and
I appreciate it. I think it's a great story right
in all of it. I'm curious of this in conclusion,
at what point did you realize that this was possibly
in the cards for you? At what point during camp
(08:48):
did you realize, you know what, I might make this
roster and this reality may be right here at my fingertips?
When did you realize that you looked like you were
going to be ANFL player?
Speaker 2 (09:01):
You know, if I can be completely honest, before going
into training camp, I told myself, like, I'm going to
treat every day the same and just prove that I
want to be here Indianapolis and be a coke. Like
that was my day by day mindset. Now, when gods
started to go down, I remember vividly like a joint,
(09:22):
the joint practice versus Baltimore, and I felt like more
confident out there. The game was slower and the game
started slow down. I started progressing because I've had I
had practices in training camp or it seemed like nothing
go right, Like I'm going against guys like Ad Right
and Alec Pierce and just like getting better but being
in the right position, but not being able to make
the play. But I feel like the turning point for
(09:43):
me was like the first joint practice first the Ravens
and then going to the first preasons game and in
the second preseason game, like that's why I felt like
I started to get my groove and starting to take
off from there and then finishing strong like I did
the last week. So I would say that that key
MoMA was, like I've been saying, was that first joint
practice from with the Ravens.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
So why the Colts? I mean when when it came
how many different franchises reached out to you out of
Tulane to offer you the opportunity or the or was
it kind of the Jonathan Edward story? This was the
place one place that reached out.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
It was it was amount of a good amount of
teams that reached out to myself and my agent about
me getting the opportunity to go on their team. But
really what stood out without me with the coaches, just
the coaching staff. They were the only team that gave
me a thirty Visit invited me over, Like I came
in right away and I felt like I clicked really
(10:37):
well with the coaches. I like, I love like the
first thing we seen like all over the building. This
is them priorchizing character and being in time like those
little balues I've been used to all my life, like
even with my parents, been trained up that way. Like
it was so attractive to me, and then I just
liked how what the coach stood about and just like
the direction that going in, So that really was what
(10:59):
won me over.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
Well, Jonathan, listen, it's our job in what I do,
to have an objectivity and to not have favorites, not
have rooting interest those kinds of things. I have never
owned a cult Jersey, but if I do, it might
have to be a thirty five. I'm all in, man,
I'm all in on this. I'm pulling for you, and
we look forward to having you three times a week
on the show over the course of this. I'm kidding there,
(11:22):
of course, but I do appreciate it, man, time you
need me.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Man, I appreciate you so much for having me. It's
on the truth.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
Well, we appreciate it. Go Trees, go Green Wave, and
go Colts. Jonathan Edwards the corner for the Indianapolis Colts.
Appreciate it. Thank you, great conversation and good stuff about
Indiana State
Jonathan Edwards is speaking of impressive. He has been exactly that,
which is why, as an undrafted free agent, he has
made the roster of the Indianapolis Colts as a cornerback
who comes by way of Tulane, but his first stop
at Indiana State and Parkway North High School in Saint Louis.
Joins us on the show. Jonathan, how are you.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
I'm doing well, Jake, how are you?
Speaker 1 (00:20):
I am great? Thank you? Now they said you had
an emergency meeting. Everything's okay, right, Oh.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Everything's good. Yeah, we just had a meeting of defense system,
knocking out some last minus players only meeting.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
So okay, Well, we want to make sure that everything's okay.
And I don't want to take you away from anything.
It's of utter importance. Oh, let's begin with this now.
I know I was just talking about this. I used
to work in Saint Louis. I know a little about
Saint Louis and I know about Parkway North And feel
free to disagree with me here. But in Saint Louis,
especially athletically, there are so many rivalries and so many
(00:53):
great athletes that are at the private parochial schools like
once the adjacent Tatum or a David Lee like gets
to a certain level end up at CBC or De
Smet And so I think sometimes like the Parkway North's
for example, or Central's, I'm not going to say chip
on the shoulder, but it doesn't get the attention in
Saint Louis like the other schools, and that can kind
(01:14):
of fuel a drive in you. Is that true? And
did you feel it?
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Absolutely? Like I remember growing up in high school always
being underlooked. You know, everybody talked about CBC, the Smith
you know, I don't know Trinity, that's not a school anymore,
but that was a popular school during my time high school.
And I just remember like always wishing that I had
a chance to be to compete with those guys more
often than we did, but definitely with a chip on
(01:41):
our shoulder from guys and public schools who we were
a class for school. So that definitely was something that
drove me.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Well okay, And so with that you end up, you know,
other guys are going to say, you know, Missoo or
Illinois or you know, wherever it may be. And nothing
against Indiana State in any way, shape or form, but
you end up in Indiana State, which obviously you know
at that time you were not listed to say a
four or five star recruit. So was that And I
(02:12):
know Indiana State was good for you, don't get me wrong,
but but did that also did that drive in that
inferiority complex that you didn't want to settle in on you?
Did it continue to motivate you at that point?
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Yeah? Absolutely. I remember me going to Indiana State and
me remembering, like, God, not to knock anybody, but you
remember in high school you see guys posting all over
the place, how many offers they're getting. Like you talked
about Miszoo and Illinois, Like I never received a letter
or anything from Zoo or Illinois. So I just remember, like, man,
like that's kind of crazy. I was an in state guy,
(02:47):
never having those opportunities or my name never being out there,
and then Indiana State taking a shot on me, and
then me being developed there and receiving great coach and
like you said, like it's a smaller school, but I've
been fitted most as a man train. They're developing my
game and getting to where I am now. So I
have to credit Indiana State coach Mallory a lot for
(03:08):
my progress over my younger years.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
And so therefore was it difficult, I guess to know that,
you know, here was a school, and I get the
respect and the love and the appreciation you have for
what Indiana State offered. But once again you kind of
had to take like this this gamble on yourself and say, look,
I need to get to a place where I'm going
to be seen. And even then you weren't necessarily seen it,
(03:34):
tu Lane, but take me through that whole process and
just kind of the mixed emotions of leaving that behind
because you knew you had to get to another level.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Yeah, it was a hard decision. I remember, like really
going back and forth with it. I remember I had,
you know, thought in my head when I was younger,
maybe I could leave, but I never felt like the
situation was right, and I didn't. I never was a
guy who just wanted to jump ship because seen like
it was on the other side. I wanted to graduate.
I wanted to just continue to develop my game, and
(04:06):
when that time came, I just had my head. I
had to take a shot on myself, Like you said,
I want to get to the highest level. And then
even if she was in Tulane, I was thinking like
because like the new playoff, and I had much belief
and coach summer on what they were doing in the
lane and winning conference championships, and I was like, man,
we can have a chance to compete at the college playoff.
(04:26):
There was a need of the position, so I jumped
on Tulane because obviously, like there was a great opportunity
for me.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
And so yeah, but even then, after your year in
Tulane and you had a good year, right, but after
that year in Tulane, you still had to kind of
ship away and let other guys get seen before you, right, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Yeah, it's it's kind of been my story, like like
you said, like having just happened, just like a sort
of like had to be payment. It's being patient, grinding
and keeping my head down and not trying to look
at anybody else, being in my own land. That's been
the same song I've been singing all my life. So
it's like that's my motivation now, like staying ready, staying
(05:11):
of course, and keeping my head down and just working.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
My guest is Jonathan Edwards, the cornerback of the Colts,
the only member of the roster that was initially when
the fifty three man announced that was an undrafted free
agent to make the squad. Jonathan, The reason I ask
all of that is to then bring it to this
question and just kind of think about it for a second.
If it makes sense when I ask it. If you
(05:38):
had gone out of Parkway North High School and you
had been able to do in the gymnasium the caps
of Maszoo and Illinois and you know, I'll throw what
you know Louisville in there whatever and get the pomp
and circumstance that comes with being a big recruit and
having that that stage right away for you. If it
(05:59):
had gone that wait for you, would we be having
this conversation with you as an NFL player.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
I mean, that's that's talks we get to have of
ourselves all the time. Like the law has planned every
step of my life, and everything has happened for a reason,
and I wouldn't want to change any other way it's happened.
Like I wouldn't change anything if I could go back
and do it over again, I wouldn't even say I
want to be drafted. Like everything that's happened has been
for my good and has benefited me so much, And
(06:29):
I can stand here at today and say that with
much confidence, like, man, I wouldn't rewrite anything.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
So, yeah, is it weird to go into practice and
have to do reps and occasionally, you know, lay a
hit on Will Mallory knowing that you played for Kurt Mallory.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
It's funny. It's funny because like every time we see him,
I always see, well, it's like, man, like that was
my old coach next you, and we always have good conversations.
He always when I first got here, he made sure
to like introduce himself and God's here is just that's
just the model here, Like we just got guys with
great character, not only Will, but just the whole locker
room guys. That's welcoming from day one. So but it's
(07:06):
cool though, because I went to the golf out of
Indian the state over in May and Will made his
way over there also, So it was cool knowing that.
It's kind of like, you know, people of the same people.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
So what did Kurt Mallory mean to you? Not just
as a player, but just being away from home for
the first time perhaps and being in a new area
and just having that guidance. What did Kurt Mallory the
Man mean to you.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
Coach Mally the man I really appreciate so much because
we have similar values here on the coach that he
has in the United State, like setting a very high
standard but having a high character while we do everything.
So it's like little things like being fifteen minutes early
to the meeting. It created good values for me a
young man to just want to not just stroll in
(07:53):
but just be a guy who can be dependent on time,
or just setting the standard in the weight room, like
being in it. It's not always for glitz and glamour,
but just me and somebody that just wants to work
hard and take the results that you worked for. Honestly,
I remember him saying words like us working hard only
gives us a chance. So if you don't work hard,
you don't have a chance at all. But even if
(08:15):
you work hard, winning games is hard. So I just
remember stuff like that, like saying like we have that's
the least we can do. Working hard as the least
you can do to give yourself a chance. So little
things like that I take away a lot.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
So Jonathan, I could probably sit here and talk to
you for three hours. I know you got places to
be and things to do. I didn't want to, and
I appreciate it. I think it's a great story right
in all of it. I'm curious of this in conclusion,
at what point did you realize that this was possibly
in the cards for you? At what point during camp
(08:48):
did you realize, you know what, I might make this
roster and this reality may be right here at my fingertips?
When did you realize that you looked like you were
going to be ANFL player?
Speaker 2 (09:01):
You know, if I can be completely honest, before going
into training camp, I told myself, like, I'm going to
treat every day the same and just prove that I
want to be here Indianapolis and be a coke. Like
that was my day by day mindset. Now, when gods
started to go down, I remember vividly like a joint,
(09:22):
the joint practice versus Baltimore, and I felt like more
confident out there. The game was slower and the game
started slow down. I started progressing because I've had I
had practices in training camp or it seemed like nothing
go right, Like I'm going against guys like Ad Right
and Alec Pierce and just like getting better but being
in the right position, but not being able to make
the play. But I feel like the turning point for
(09:43):
me was like the first joint practice first the Ravens
and then going to the first preasons game and in
the second preseason game, like that's why I felt like
I started to get my groove and starting to take
off from there and then finishing strong like I did
the last week. So I would say that that key
MoMA was, like I've been saying, was that first joint
practice from with the Ravens.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
So why the Colts? I mean when when it came
how many different franchises reached out to you out of
Tulane to offer you the opportunity or the or was
it kind of the Jonathan Edward story? This was the
place one place that reached out.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
It was it was amount of a good amount of
teams that reached out to myself and my agent about
me getting the opportunity to go on their team. But
really what stood out without me with the coaches, just
the coaching staff. They were the only team that gave
me a thirty Visit invited me over, Like I came
in right away and I felt like I clicked really
(10:37):
well with the coaches. I like, I love like the
first thing we seen like all over the building. This
is them priorchizing character and being in time like those
little balues I've been used to all my life, like
even with my parents, been trained up that way. Like
it was so attractive to me, and then I just
liked how what the coach stood about and just like
the direction that going in, So that really was what
(10:59):
won me over.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
Well, Jonathan, listen, it's our job in what I do,
to have an objectivity and to not have favorites, not
have rooting interest those kinds of things. I have never
owned a cult Jersey, but if I do, it might
have to be a thirty five. I'm all in, man,
I'm all in on this. I'm pulling for you, and
we look forward to having you three times a week
on the show over the course of this. I'm kidding there,
(11:22):
of course, but I do appreciate it, man, time you
need me.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Man, I appreciate you so much for having me. It's
on the truth.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
Well, we appreciate it. Go Trees, go Green Wave, and
go Colts. Jonathan Edwards the corner for the Indianapolis Colts.
Appreciate it. Thank you, great conversation and good stuff about
Indiana State
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