USA Ultimate

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HARVEY EDWARDS Inducted: 2007 - Player Hometown: Selinsgrove, PA Born: January 18, 1956

Harvey Edwards could be considered one of the first major athletes to compete and lend legitimacy to the sport as true athletic competition. As a former Division I basketball player in college, Harvey added credibility to the sport. Harvey was a founder, captain, and player for the Bucknell Mudsharks. As peak performer for the Flying Circus for four years, Harvey was known as a great leaper. Harvey was known as a great spirit and exemplary sportsman. His play and enthusiasm was widely respected. Harvey played over the course of three decades and extended his career at WFDF UPA Championships. There he won three Masters titles with the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove.

Playing Career | US Nationals | WFDF Worlds | Contributions & Service | Interview

Interview

Q: What position(s) (e.g., handler, deep cutter, middle-middle) did you usually play?

A: Deep cutter, middle-middle on zone, handler in later career.

Q: Describe your major accomplishments – both as a teammate and an individual player?

A: I believe that my contributions to the spirit of Ultimate strengthened the legitimacy of the game as a true athletic competition.  With the creation of the Mudsharks at Bucknell, stellar athletes from varsity sports (e.g. soccer, cross country, basketball, baseball, etc.) quit to play disc. This in turn spawned many players who, upon graduation, started teams in new areas. I also believe I embodied the Spirit of the Game on and off the field.

Q: Why did you stand out among the elite players of your time?  What was it that you did best, or were known for?  

A: My forte was the clutch catch, usually high in the end zone when I elevated high above those positioning under the disc preparing to jump.  I typically took off seconds before opponents even considered the disc was in reach in the air.  Thus, for key goals I was quite lethal in the end zone on offense or defense.  I also used my speed and dexterity as a player to play any position needed.

Q: What was your role with the best (or most overachieving) team that you played on?

A: I was the go to guy for a crucial score in the end zone.  Also, if a disc hovered in the opponent’s end, it was expected I’d get there.

Q: What was the peak of your career?

A: All of my years playing with Bucknell and Flying Circus stand out as years of peak performance.  It was quite rare for anyone to "out-sky" me in the 1970s or early 1980s.  In the 1990s the Seven Sages won three UPA World Championships and my role remained the same although there was less need for me to play nearly every point.

Q: Why do you believe you are worthy of being inducted into the Ultimate Hall of Fame?

A: Through my play and sportsmanship on and off the field, I have advanced the sport of Ultimate.  Because of my early introduction to the game and enthusiasm for it, the sport has some hard-core players who have taken the fame all around the country and abroad.  Through this great game I helped create a circle of friends who have given greatly to the sport and each other.