BOONE, N.C. — While one Appalachian State alum was making his pro debut Thursday night, another was capping a sizable comeback with a last-second touchdown.
The NFL preseason began Thursday with the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, where receiver Malachi Jones took the field for the Chicago Bears. About six hours to the north, across the Canadian border, receiver Armanti Edwards caught a 23-yard touchdown pass with one second left to lift the Toronto Argonauts to a 42-41 victory against the Ottawa Redblacks.
Edwards, 30, outfought a defender for the ball near the left edge of the end zone, made sure his feet stayed in bounds and then fired a spiral toward the back wall with the left hand that helped him throw for a school-record 10,392 yards as an App State quarterback from 2006-09. Toronto had trailed 38-14 early in the third quarter before rallying.
Edwards, who appeared at No. 3 on SportsCenter's Top Plays segment, ranks in the top 20 of the CFL this season with 273 receiving yards on 21 catches through seven games. Last season, in helping the Argonauts win the Grey Cup title, Edwards finished the regular season with 83 catches (ninth in the league) for 962 yards (15th in the league) and four touchdowns.
Jones, who played at App State from 2012-15, is moving forward from being named the Arena Football League's Rookie of the Year thanks to a season in which he led the league in receiving yards (1,156 on 77 catches). The Bears signed him last week, and he didn't have any catches in a 17-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Tuesday, but he did appear on special teams.
