NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) – In the 12th grade at John F. Kennedy high school, Derrick Edwards was playing football at City Park Stadium and suffered a catastrophic injury that broke his neck and left him paralyzed from the neck down.
But that didn’t stop Edwards from graduating on time and getting accepted to Tulane University, where he received his bachelor degree in management and a master’s in accounting. In 2003, Edwards graduated from Loyola University School of Law.
Edwards did not stop there. Now he is the first quadriplegic to run for U.S. Senate in Louisiana.
Edwards says his primary mission as a U.S. senator would be to help others in a health crisis.
“I feel like everyone should be treated the same,” he told WGNO’s Jabari Thomas. “I believe that life should be available for all who wants to turn around and do the right thing. You can’t give your kids a million dollars, but you sure can guide them in the right direction and provide them with a good education.”