Class of 1969 | Greenfield High School
The “Greenfield Gunner” aka Mike Edwards has been a staple on the basketball court since his playing days at Greenfield High School in the 1960s. He earned the nickname for his prolific scoring ability (2,343 points in high school with no 3-point line) and leading the state of Indiana his senior year averaging 36.4 points per game. He was named a high school All-American. He was the recipient of other awards and recognitions as a result of his stellar high school career including induction into the Greenfield-Central High School Athletic Hall of Fame and the Indiana High School Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004 and 2003 respectively. Mike was also named to the Indiana High School Basketball Silver Anniversary Team in 1994.
After high school graduation, Mike chose to attend the University of Tennessee where he became an integral part of the Volunteers basketball team, playing under legendary coach Ray Mears. While there he distinguished himself again, earning recognition as a two-time all-SEC player and was named the 1972 Southeastern Conference (SEC) Men’s Basketball Player of the Year. The university honored him again in 2009 choosing him to be a part of the Tennessee All-Century team which commemorated the greatest 20 players in program history.
Mike was drafted by the Indiana Pacers in 1973. He played one year of professional basketball in Mexico. In 2010 ESPN voted him the 46th Best Indiana High School Basketball Player in history.
Once his professional playing days wound down, Mike turned his attention to sharing his knowledge and skill acumen with high school and college-age young men by teaching the game he loved to new generations. Younger youth benefited too during the many years of basketball camps he conducted. A wellness and physical education teacher for over 30 years at the high school and college levels, Mike was also either an assistant or head basketball coach at the schools in which he taught. Mike taught and coached at Carson Newman University, Emory and Henry College, Farragut High School and William Blount High School, where he invested over 30 years in the lives of young people.
Mike has shared his life and offered inspiration to others off the court as well. He has taken the time to speak to organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club of Tennessee, drawing on his own experiences actively engaged with the Boys and Girls Club of Hancock County where he spent many, many hours while growing up in Greenfield. Mike is a host for the longest running sports radio show in Tennessee, “The Sports Page,” a 2.5 hour weekly program on Saturday mornings. And, Mike has also authored two books, The Last Tiger, and Don’t Give Me the Scores, Just the Stories: Tales from the Ray Mears Era and More. Says Mike’s nominator, Charlie Hart, about the 1995 book The Last Tiger, “The book gives an in-depth account of the final year of Greenfield High School prior to consolidation. While focused on the basketball team, his work is arguably the most detailed work ever created about Greenfield High School.”
Mike retains his high school nickname all these years later. Says Charlie, “He is still referred to as the “Greenfield Gunner” by those in our community and in Tennessee. This fact is incredible considering that he has not lived in Indiana since 1969. He continues to represent Hancock County with humility and dignity.”
Now retired from teaching, Mike and his wife of 46 years, Debbie, live in Maryville, Tennessee. They have one adult son, Brett. Mike enjoys working with plants and flowers in the yard, following University of Tennessee sports and collecting memorabilia centered around his passion for the Indianapolis 500. Congratulations, Mike!