Former Missouri Western quarterback prepares for professional football career in Germany
By Calvin Silvers
The sun is shining, the weather isn’t freezing cold, and the days are becoming longer, which means spring is here. It also means it’s a special time of the year where college football spring practices will kick off, and that rings true for the Missouri Western Griffons.
However, one athlete won’t be on the field during the spring months to prepare for another season in the MIAA, but to prepare for his professional career.
“I want to continue playing football as long as I can, so I think this is kind of just the next chapter and stepping stone for me to play professionally,” former Missouri Western quarterback Armani Edden said. “Just to kind of have my foot in the door as well.”
The Griffon quarterback Edden has had quite the football career, beginning his journey at the junior college level at two different programs in California. He began at Antelope Valley College in Lancaster, California, before moving to the College of Canyons for a better opportunity.
He then was recruited by the University of Hawaii, where he spent three seasons before transferring to Missouri Western this previous year for his final collegiate season. Besides the facilities being compared to the Division I level, Edden couldn’t pass up rebuilding the Griffon program in the Tyler Fenwick era.
“He’s definitely a player’s coach. Every conversation we’ve had before coming here, it was always genuine and kind of just all about business,” Edden said. “We knew kind of what direction we wanted to bring him program into, and you can tell that they were kind of hungry for that turnover, hungry to build this program up and I saw that.”
The Florida native worked with the Sioux City Bandits, an arena football team, until another opportunity was offered.
Instead of playing what is basically 7-on-7 with pads, he’ll take his talents to Germany, where Edden will become a member of the Kirchdorf Wildcats, a professional team in the German Football League.
“They reached out to me and then I just kind of was interested in the opportunity, dug a little deeper, and then I sent them my film as well, and then they kind of wanted to continue recruiting me in from this past season,” Edden said. “It was just a great opportunity to talk to the coaching staff, and then I was able to get offered a contract, so just excited for the opportunity to continue playing football professionally.”
Edden has played the sport since he was seven years old, and always dreamed of playing professionally. Now given that chance, he’s ready to continue to prove those who ever doubted him and his size.
“Just being an undersized quarterback as well, because definitely I’ve always had a chip on my shoulder, so I’ve always just kind of just kept working and staying committed to the process and understanding what it takes to continue to grow in your game and to reach the next level,” Edden said.
