Bill Edwards was a three-sport standout who garnered five varsity letters at New Brighton High School. It was in his hometown where Bill's love of sports, pursuit of knowledge, and dedication to community were forged.

Bill quarterbacked the Lions' football team, played basketball, and was a pitcher and outfielder on the first baseball team fielded by his alma mater. His athletic talent helped him earn a full ride to Geneva College, where he played all three of those sports.

At Geneva College, Bill was twice named to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Small College Tri-State 1st Team in football. He earned a total of 11 varsity letters while playing for the Covies, one shy of a perfect dozen only because he took a season off due to a family health issue.

Bill's passion for sports continued during his 35-year career in public education, both in the classroom and in administration. During his tenure, Bill served as principal at New Brighton High School for 17 years. He began coaching the Lions as an assistant in both basketball and football, and after seven seasons became head basketball coach. Between 1958 and 1969, Bill's teams won 60 percent of their games. From 1960 through 1969, Bill also served as head coach of the New Brighton golf team. Even after he stepped away from coaching, he remained involved, serving as athletic director from 1958 to 1969.

Bill's expertise extended beyond Beaver County. He served on the WPIAL's Board of Control from 1974 to 1985, and, during that period, helped re-design the league's school classifications and modify the Gardner Point System that determines playoff seeds and tie-breakers. Bill also served as secretary and president of the Midwestern Athletic Conference.

Today, Bill continues to serve his hometown as a caring and dedicated community volunteer and advisor. In 2016, Bill received the Unsung Heroes award from the Beaver County Times with a total of 19,000 volunteer hours.

Besides earning his B.S. in Education from Geneva, Bill has an M.S. in Educational Administration from the University of Pittsburgh. He and his wife, Shirley, have been married for 65 years and have four children—Debbie, John, David, and Nancy—along with six grandchildren, four of whom were WPIAL athletes.