Eugene Edwards was blinded in a hunting accident at the age of 11.

Following his recovery, he began as a student at the Missouri School for the Blind where he was blessed to have been surrounded by numerous remarkable teachers who helped him grow to be the person he became.

Edwards was introduced to wrestling at MSB and it replaced baseball as his sports passion.

In high school he was a two-time Missouri state wrestling champion and had a career record of 75-2 with 58 of his wins by fall.

Edwards continued his wrestling career at Southern Illinois University – Carbondale, surrounded by coaches and teammates who helped him to continue to excel. Despite being hampered by injuries, he was a three-time conference champion and team captain as a senior while compiling a career record of 45-6.

He returned to MSB and was a mathematics teacher for over 30 years and the wrestling coach for 47 years. Edwards left a lasting impact on countless students and athletes and was a founding member and longtime board member of the United States Association of Blind Athletes.

Edwards was elected to the Missouri Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1980 and became the sixth wrestler inducted into the Missouri Hall of Fame in 1982. He was elected to the Greater St. Louis Area Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 1994 and received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling award from the Missouri Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2005. Edwards was inducted into the Southern Illinois University – Carbondale Saluki Hall of Fame in 2019 and into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame in 2022.

He was humbled and embarrassed by the accolades that he received. In his opinion, he was not responsible.

Deke said that he would have achieved “nothing’ in his life if not for the help of his family, coaches, teachers, teammates, and most importantly, his wife.