​Growing up, Mason Edwards spent a significant portion of his childhood in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. His mother, Julie, was raised in Ishpeming and graduated from Northern Michigan University in Marquette before moving to Rochester to work at Mayo Clinic. Edwards’ grandparents still reside up north, and he has visited every year since he was nine months old. As he enters his senior year at Byron High School, Edwards embodies a fisherman-at-heart who cherishes the outdoors, making the Upper Peninsula the perfect backdrop for his summers. He spends his summers jumping off the Black Rocks in Marquette and fishing and swimming at his grandparents’ house on Beaufort Lake, just west of Michigamme.
For years, the U.P. has felt like a second home to the 6-foot-2, 275-pound left guard, and that sentiment will become official as Edwards verbally committed to play Division II college football for Northern Michigan University on June 30. “I went on my Junior Day, and my mom and I were pretty much blown away right away after seeing the campus and meeting the coaches,” Edwards said. He had also received an offer from Division II Wayne State University in Detroit. “Then I just took my official visit, and really thought about it, and I knew it was the place where I wanted to be—the atmosphere, everything about it, the coaches, the people. I’ve always talked about living in the U.P., so I think it’s a good experience.”
Edwards credits his mom as one of his biggest supporters since he began playing flag football in kindergarten, and now he will follow in her footsteps by attending NMU. “Growing up, my mom was probably my biggest influence for football because she’s been there for me pretty much my whole career,” Edwards said. “She made a lot of sacrifices for me, a lot of schedule changes to help make everything I’ve done so far come true. And then my coaches have definitely been there through this whole recruiting process.” Moving to NMU means his grandparents won’t have to travel far to watch him play. They live nearly 400 miles from Byron but manage to attend one or two of the Bears’ football games each season.
Byron High School recently saw the departure of four of its five starting offensive linemen, yet Edwards remains confident in his team’s prospects. He notes that his experience as a junior, when he recorded more than 55 pancake blocks, allowed zero sacks, and earned Post Bulletin All-Area First Team and Skyway Brass All-District honors, has prepared him well for the challenges ahead. “The new athletes at our Duluth team camp on the line proved themselves pretty well, so I think we’re going to do decent,” Edwards said. “It comes with experience, but I think we’re going to be good.”
Beyond football, Edwards also competes in wrestling for the Bears. He joined the wrestling program with the goal of improving as a football player, and along the way discovered a genuine love for the sport. He found that wrestling helps him stay competitive and adds another dimension to his athletic development. As he embarks on his college football journey at NMU, Edwards looks forward to the opportunities ahead and the chance to contribute to a program he has admired for years, all while remaining connected to the Upper Peninsula that helped shape him.