Willie Edwards comes from solid Bayou Sorrel, Louisiana, hunting stock, and was born William Edwards III on June 20, 1982. His father, Junior Edwards, was a hunter before him. The Edwards clan lives off the south Louisiana swamp land.
Willie’s an independent swamper and one of the last year-round commercial fishermen in the state. Willie and his family catch fish, frogs, deer, crabs, crawfish, snapping turtles, and alligators. Willie’s popularity on History Channel’s Swamp People stems from his strong family values and downright incredible gator-trapping skills.
1. Willie Edwards Was Once Gifted A New Titanium Tooth
Dr. Daniel Domingue did the free dental work, but it took some effort to get in touch with Willie. It all started when Dr. Domingue’s office assistant at Robinson Dental Group saw Willie’s gap-toothed smile on the television show. The assistant, Karen Tomplait, tracked down leads without luck. She finally went to an area event that featured Swamp People cast members.
She passed a note to the crew, explaining her dental office wanted to offer free dental work for Willie. When Willie’s wife heard of it, she called the office. Dr. Domingue’s evaluation of Willie’s dental condition led to the implant of a titanium tooth in Willie’s jaw. Willie lost the tooth while playing blindfolded and ran into an ice box, breaking the tooth. Dr. Domingue implanted a new root and a temporary tooth, which perfectly filled the old gap, with hopes of returning for a permanent implant.
2. Willie Edwards Has A Phobia
Even some of the strongest and bravest superheroes have their weaknesses, like Kryptonite to Superman. Willie Edwards’ phobia is spiders. Willie has no problem charging into territories with big, scary alligators, but spiders are where he draws the line. It helps to know Willie is still human after all.
3. Willie Edwards Is Proud To Pass Down Family Career Secrets
Willie Edwards has no problem teaching his two sons to hunt like his father taught him. Willie has often openly admitted his respect for his father, teaching him to hunt. Willie has shown them how to put fishing nets off the side of the boat and cut baits. Willie has also taught them that snapping turtles have a lot of good meat.
Willie’s also not just about eating turtles and has shown his boys how to grab them by their tails to avoid getting bit. This means learning to hold the turtles far away from their bodies. Willie’s also taught the boys how to catch snakes. As his father taught him, Willie knows hunting expertise can only be achieved with experience. Of his two sons, Little Willie seems to be the one most interested in hunting.
4. Willie Edwards Was Shocked By Radio Stations Attempt To Ban A Song
Willie Edwards expressed shock when radio stations wanted to ban “Baby It’s Cold Outside.” Obviously one of his favorite songs, Willie, decided to use his growing influence to stop the ban. Willie and his father, Junior, shared a Facebook page and chose to post a YouTube video of Bing Crosby and Doris Day singing the song. Their December 2018 post about the song included their disbelief about the radio station ban and a link to others to hear it.
5. Willie Edwards Was Bitten By A Six-Foot Alligator
Part of the hazards of alligator hunting is the risk of an attack. Willie Edwards was heading down the bayou with his father when it happened. The duo had headed out to hunt alligators and saw the alligator on a log. His father shot at it with a rifle and hit it in the nose while Willie threw a hook over him and got the alligator into their boat. During the haul, the alligator had its mouth wide open.
In a careless act, Willie grabbed the top jaw of the gator, but the gator shut its mouth almost immediately, trapping Willie’s hand. It took two men, including Willie’s father, to pry open the gator’s jaw with a knife to free Willie’s hand. According to Willie, the pain was like having a pair of pliers sunk into his hand. The men swabbed Willie’s hand with disinfectant to prevent the injury from getting infected.
6. Willie Edwards Once Tried To Get A Normal Job
Although much of Willie Edwards’ life has been a commercial fisherman, he had attempted to tow in a different line when he was younger. Like many young graduates, Willie tried to secure a normal job away from his family’s line of work. Although he eventually got a job, it was only two weeks before realizing it wasn’t the life he wanted. Since he quit the job years ago, Willie has spent the best of his working life leaving his house daily by 5:30 in the morning to trap all day.
7. Willie Edwards Prefers To Hunt Alone
Willie Edwards has no problem hunting alone. The most trouble he has is hauling in large and heavy gators. However, he likes the quiet he gets if he’s alone. Willie says there’s no bickering, and he’s come to like being by himself. However, that’s all changed now that he has his son, Little Willie, whom he mentors.
8. Willie Edwards Has Lost Family Members
Willie Edwards’s brother, Randy Edwards, joined him in his hunting quests. Randy was also popular on Swamp People for his gator-hunting skills, alongside his brother and father. However, Randy lost his life in September 2018 in a car accident. Willie and his father shared the news with fans on social media. Randy Dale Edwards was 35 years at the time of his death.
Before his brother’s death, Willie had also experienced a close relation death, even before he joined Swamp People. Most viewers know Willie with his two sons, but Willie gave birth to three children. His first child was his daughter, Michaela Deshaye Edwards. Willie and his wife lost Michaela over two decades ago.
9. Willie Edwards’ Net Worth
Willie Edwards and his father were a team in Swamp People until the series’ sixth season. Willie returned to the show’s season 6 as a solo hunter before having Little Willie join him. As of 2018, when he rejoined the cast, Willie’s net worth was around $500,000. His net worth has increased since then, and he’s estimated to be worth around $800,000.
10. Willie Edwards’ Biggest Hunt
One of Willie Edwards’ biggest catches on Swamp People was for Colossus. He ventured into the bayou to catch the power gator who had broken through his first hook. He said he’d never seen such a powerful gator. Willie Edwards called Colossus a hook-breaker.
Follow Us
