photo by: Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence High senior running back Tahj Edwards carries the ball past the Shawnee Mission North defense at Shawnee Mission District Stadium, North Location, on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025 in Overland Park.

Tahj Edwards was at a low point in his football career just over a month ago, when, as a senior, he tore his ACL and meniscus late in the second-to-last game of the regular season.

The injury prevented him from being on the field for Lawrence’s lone win of the season, and it prevented the running back from finishing his high school career the way he had hoped. Yet, a little over a month and a day after the injury, Edwards announced his decision to commit to Coffeyville Community College, securing his future in football.

“I’m excited to start recovery, and once I get down there, just get a spot on the team,” Edwards said. “I’m just honestly just really excited that I got to commit. I’m grateful I got the opportunity to commit to a school.”

Edwards had surgery on Monday, the day he announced his commitment to Coffeyville. He will start with crutches before working in physical therapy to return to full participation with Coffeyville in the summer. It’ll take a couple of months, but Edwards will begin running, jumping and cutting to build back the muscle and gain the confidence in his leg again.

Edwards had offers from junior-college and Division II programs, but Edwards decided to go the junior-college route because of what Coffeyville offered. He’s a football legacy — his grandfather was part of Coffeyville’s national championship team in 1983 — at a school that will give him the opportunity to develop and become the Division I-level athlete he can be.

“People do it all the time — they go from the JUCO level to D-I and on,” Edwards said. “I know it’s going to be tough, because there’s grown men doing bounce backs, people playing from all types of levels in JUCO… but I’m ready to compete no matter what, because I know what I want, and I’m going to get it.”

As a running back, Edwards prides himself on his versatility. He can run between the tackles, use his speed to attack the edge on outside runs, catch the ball and run routes out of the backfield and even help in pass protection. To Edwards, it’s all about doing everything he can to help his team.

“I want to sharpen my skills so I can be the best running back,” Edwards said. “I don’t just want to be a good running back. I want to be the best running back that I can for the team.”

Edwards was both a safety and running back when he started playing football, but due to the needs of his team, he moved full-time to running back. Since then, he’s been working toward this opportunity to earn a spot on a college football team.

But that isn’t where Edwards wants his journey to end. He knows it’s a long, hard road — and an uphill battle with his injury — but he wants to work his way to make a living out of football. To get there, it’s important for Edwards to develop as a player, which is what made Coffeyville the right choice for his college decision.

“I don’t just want to check off that ‘I’m a college athlete’ box,” Edwards said. “I want to tick off the ‘I went into college as a freshman, and I got to play and I got to start.’ That’s how I want to develop.”

Whether it’s on the field or in the locker room, Edwards is excited to help the team. His time at Lawrence High School taught him the importance of being a leader, and how success requires full attention every day in every practice.

“I have to be a leader, I can’t just slack off,” Edwards said. “(I can’t) just go there, give 50%. I have to give 100% at practice, 100% in games. Every time just get better, and that is going to make the teams better.”

The injury made things a lot more complicated for Edwards’s football career. It forced him to end his high school career the wrong way, and it will make the start of his college career a challenge as he has to first get healthy before worrying about getting playing time at Coffeyville.

But, at the end of the day, it’s a challenge that Edwards is ready to take on. This is an opportunity for him to further his dream, and despite it all, he’s grateful to be where he’s at — getting ready to play more football.

“I’m beyond excited for this — I feel like Coffeyville is going to be a really good fit for me, to set me up for my future,” Edwards said. “I can’t even put it into words. I can’t even express how excited I am just to go play college ball, because that’s my dream.”