Lenoir-Rhyne University Athletics

To say that Eddie Joyner was an outstanding Lenoir-Rhyne football player is almost understating the case.  From 1964-68, Joyner won every conceivable honor as a Bear grid star.  The Lenoir-Rhyne inductee started small - winning all-conference honorable mention his freshman year.  After that, however, his talent came to be recognized.  He earned all-conference three times, All-NAIA twice, All-Lutheran three times and all-state three times.  In 1966 and 1967, Joyner was named an Associated Press All-American, and in the latter year he also garnered American Football Coaches Association honors.  That same season, he played in the Sudan Temple College All-Star Game and was co-winner of the Best Defensive Player award.  Following his graduation, Joyner played professional football with the Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League.  During his three years with the team, Ottawa won two Grey Cup Championships, the equivalent of the NFL's Super Bowl.  A knee injury curtailed Joyner's professional career, so in 1971 he and his family returned to North Carolina.