Carl Edwards: Why He Still Could Be NASCAR's Savior

There are always major players who are associated with each sport. They draw fan reaction and media attention with the mention of their name. NASCAR is no different, but their starpower has lacked the brilliance they need.

It was expected that Dale Earnhardt Jr. would pick up the gauntlet and run with it after the death of his famous father, the "Intimidator." Earnhardt has been a brand name with NASCAR.

Other drivers have garnered mass attention with more extraordinary performance than Junior, like Jimmie Johnson and his five consecutive championships, yet their brand pales to that of the Earnhardt.

In the search for the next great player, some look to Carl Edwards as the new face of NASCAR. Edwards, 33, is a NASCAR Sprint Cup hot shoe who nearly won the 2011 Cup title.

He actually tied the winner of the championship, Tony Stewart, but was denied the trophy and big check because he didn't have enough wins.

The Missouri native passed out business cards in hopes of landing a ride with a strong team. He was fortunate enough to land with Jack Roush, and in nine years, he has 19 wins at NASCAR's top level.

He has won in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, has 37 wins in the Nationwide series and was the 2007 Busch (Nationwide) champion. He can flat wheel a race car.

His fanbase is strong, and he has endeared himself by joining the fans in the stands after winning a race.

Edwards is a media darling who never met a camera he didn't like. He is well-spoken with clean-cut good looks.

The driver of the No. 99 Ford Fusion for Roush Fenway Racing is often interviewed and appears on air for ESPN in the broadcast booth from time to time.

Edwards is a great spokesperson for his sponsors. He is not one to shy away from the many television commercials he appears in.

He has made appearances on other television programs, not related to NASCAR.

His strong fitness regime has paid off with athletic ability that allows him to do his trademark backflips off the side of his car after a win.

Edwards appears to be the total package driver with all the makings of a superstar in the sport. It can be debated as to whether he will win multiple Cup titles or even one.

Some may view Edwards as gimmicky with some of his antics. He may also appear insincere with some of his statements and has shown possible anger management problems during NASCAR events.

It is not unusual to see Edwards bounce into the scene of a televised interview with another driver to interject some form of humor.

He made his way to the flag stand at Bristol to wave the green flag for the Nationwide race this last weekend. It seems he constantly seeks new ways to gain attention and photo opportunities.

It is hard to overlook the issues he had with Brad Keselowski that resulted in serious accidents with airborne cars, as a result of deliberate retaliation by Edwards.

This is a driver who plays the nice guy role to the maximum, but he isn't especially loved by his teammate, Matt Kenseth.

At the Las Vegas race this year, Kenseth was running third when he got squeezed by Edwards. As a result, the driver of the No. 17 finished 22nd and Edwards finished fifth.

There was a confrontation between Kenseth and Edwards at Martinsville in 2007 that resulted in Edwards putting up his fist in a threatening manner to Kenseth after the race.

At the recent Food City 500 in Bristol, Edwards was caught up in the big wreck at the beginning of the race that ruined his day with a 39th-place finish, but he remained low-key despite the disappointment.

Much like a box of chocolates, you never know for sure whether you will get Edwards the good guy or the one with calculated aggression.

NASCAR craves a superstar who will win races, win titles and be dearly loved by the fans. As to whether Edwards can ever be that driver, the jury is still out. He just may not be NASCAR's savior.