From huddles to hurdles: Junior Christian Edgar’s journey to becoming a two-sport Division I athlete
When Christian Edgar first arrived at Rice, his focus was singular: football. Competing in two sports wasn’t part of the plan, at least not at first. But by the spring of his freshman year, as he stood on the sidelines watching a home track meets, something shifted.
“I saw that my time from high school would’ve done okay — not great, but okay,” Edgar said. “And that kind of first put the thought into my mind.”
By his sophomore year, Edgar had turned that passing thought into a plan. After working closely with both the football and track coaches to coordinate his training schedule, he officially joined the Rice track and field team.
Today, he splits his time between being a slot receiver on the football team and competing as one of the track program’s top hurdlers.
“When you truly enjoy the training and competition of both sports — and I believe this absolutely applies to Christian — it’s not asking too much,” said Rice track and field head coach Jon Warren. “He’s a big-time competitor who gives his all to both sports.”
Managing two Division I sports is no small task. Edgar credits his ability to stay on top of both sports to consistent communication and a carefully structured routine. And with Rice’s new football coaching staff in place this year, he said his schedule has become more sustainable.
“We do weight room lifts Monday, Wednesday and Friday,” Edgar said. “Football runs are Tuesdays and Thursdays, but I was able to replace those with track runs instead. I’m still lifting with football, still around the facility, but instead of running football drills on the field, I’m running track.”
It’s a more manageable workload than he had in the past. Last year, he wasn’t allowed to miss any football workouts, which often meant double training days—football practice in the morning, track in the afternoon and sometimes even back-to-back competitions.
“That took a toll on my body,” Edgar said. “I had to focus on nutrition and sleep to stay healthy. If I wasn’t eating enough or getting enough rest, it wasn’t going to work.”
Warren said Edgar deserves the credit for clear communication with both staffs and managing his own time.
“Christian is in charge of making this work,” Warren said. “He communicates with the football staff and the track staff, and due to his diligence, it works well.”
For Edgar, football and track aren’t separate pursuits. They complement each other, both physically and mentally.
“The obvious thing is speed,” Edgar said. “With track, you really train the top end of your speed. That’s helped me on the football field. Coaches love when people are fast — when they can see it on film.”
But it’s not just about speed. Edgar believes football’s mental toughness has helped him handle the physical and emotional demands of track competition.
“You have to be gritty,” he said. “You have to be able to suffer and go through hard practices. That’s helped me push through tough workouts in track. And the pressure from football games is greater than the pressure from track meets, at least for me. So at track meets, I can relax a whole lot more. It’s like, ‘I just get to be here and run.’”
Warren sees the connection between the two sports as well.
“Football teaches an athlete that to succeed they have to work well with others,” he said. “ Track is a great off-season vehicle for football players to improve their speed.”
During the indoor season, Edgar competes in the 60-meter hurdles. Outdoors, he runs the 110-meter hurdles and is a key member of Rice’s 4x400 relay team.
Last year, he finished seventh in the 110-meter hurdles at the American Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships. This indoor season, he placed third in the 60-meter hurdles at the AAC Championships with a time of 7.90 seconds—ranking him sixth on Rice’s all-time performance list.
On the football field, Edgar’s role has evolved since his arrival at Rice. He was initially recruited as a quarterback, later transitioned to safety and now plays slot receiver under the new offensive system.
Outside of his roles as an athlete, Warren said Edgar has had other effects on the team as well.
“In his event group, he’s made a great impact,” Warren said. “He’s a good leader and has made an impact on the full squad in a positive way.”
One of the greatest challenges Edgar faces is not having an offseason.
“When football players get their weekends off, I’m at a track meet,” Edgar said. “And when track season is over, I’m going through fall camp and football season.”
The constant grind has forced him to be intentional about how he spends his time, and what he sacrifices along the way.
“You prioritize what you want to do,” he said. “It does limit some things, like hanging out with friends on the weekends—but it’s worth it.”
Throughout the process, Edgar credits his dad for helping him stay grounded and focused.
“My dad has been there when I’m stressed out and need to calm down,” Edgar said. “At the same time, he doesn’t feel sorry for me. He pushes me to make the most of my resources. It’s a really cool opportunity to do two sports, and he reminds me of that.”
With spring football practice wrapping up, Edgar is preparing to shift his attention fully to the outdoor track season.
“With football, I think the offense the new coaching staff is bringing in is going to be exciting and fun to watch,” Edgar said. “I’m excited to see where my role lies and how I can best help the team this fall.”
On the track, his focus is on building momentum heading into the postseason.
“I only have a couple of meets before [the conference meet],” Edgar said. “I’m just taking it one week at a time and trying to get a little better each week.”
Reflecting on his time at Rice so far, Edgar said it’s the journey itself—not just the results—that has been the most rewarding.
“Trying to be good at both sports is great,” he said. “But for me, it’s really about enjoying the process. Going through track practices with my track teammates and football workouts with my football teammates — that’s been so cool. Not a lot of people get to do that. It’s a gift, and I am just trying to make the most out of it.”
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