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Florida Gators’ Brian Edwards arrested on battery complaint

A witness saw the backup defensive back grab his girlfriend by the neck Monday night, according to police.
 
BRONTE WITTPENN   |   Times
Florida Gators defensive back Brian Edwards (6) high-fives fans before a game against LSU at Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at the University of Florida in Gainesville on Saturday, October 6, 2018.
BRONTE WITTPENN | Times Florida Gators defensive back Brian Edwards (6) high-fives fans before a game against LSU at Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at the University of Florida in Gainesville on Saturday, October 6, 2018.
Published May 7, 2019|Updated May 7, 2019

Florida Gators defensive back Brian Edwards was arrested Monday on a simple battery (dating violence) complaint that he grabbed his girlfriend by the neck during an argument that evening.

Edwards and his girlfriend of two years got into a dispute around 6 p.m. Monday. When the woman turned to leave, Edwards grabbed her neck to try to keep her from exiting, according to the Gainesville Police Department report.

Another witness saw the incident and called police, who saw marks on the woman’s neck and a scratch on her shoulder, according to the report.

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Edwards, 20, was released from the Alachua County Jail on Tuesday after the misdemeanor battery complaint.

Edwards has appeared in 18 games in his two seasons in Gainesville as a backup defensive back and special teams contributor. He recorded seven tackles, four pass breakups and a fumble recovery as a true sophomore last season.

The 6-foot-2, 192-pound Edwards is a Hollywood native. He was the passenger in the car of Kadarius Toney’s traffic stop last year when a loaded AR-15 was discovered in the back seat.

Edwards’ arrest marks the second notable off-the-field incident for UF in the last month. Backup quarterback Jalon Jones was accused of sexual battery by two different women in two separate incidents 30 minutes apart on April 6, but neither woman pursued charges. Jones has since entered the NCAA’s transfer portal.