Julian Edelman has finally gotten the recognition he deserves by becoming the 37th member of the New England Patriots’ Hall of Fame. Edelman spent his entire NFL career in New England and was seen as the clear choice for this years inductee as he is now in his forth year of retirement, a requirement to be selected as a candidate. This years candidates featured some legends but Edelman was always going to be this years selection. His career was unlike most NFL players as he was forced to adapt or die.
Julian Edelman’s career has not been like most players in the NFL.
Back in the late 2000’s, the New England Patriots were looking to establish a dynasty of success. They had easily the steal of the century with Tom Brady as their quarterback and leader. What he needed was some equally talented receivers to catch his legendary throws. Drafting Julian Edelman in the 2009 draft was truly a masterful move by the Patriots.
Edelman played the majority of his college days for Kent State before the draft of 2009. The crazy thing is, that Edelman played in college as a quarterback. The Patriots selected him with the idea to transform him into a wide receiver and punt returner. After being selected as No. 232 of the 256-pick draft in 2009, the Patriots laid out their plans and Edelman was forced to adapt.
When we consider what a challenging transition that would have been for the best players, it is understandable that he took a few seasons to find his feet in his new position. Once he did, he started to show the talent and ability that would see him win three Super Bowls with the Patriots. As a player drafted in the seventh round, the fact he finds himself as a Hall of Famer is incredible and a testament to his willpower.
Some truly iconic performances have led Edelman into the Patriots Hall of Fame.
Once he got comfortable in his new role, he started putting in some amazing performances. In 2013 he became Tom Brady’s go to man as he racked up 105-catches and 1,056-yards on the field. From there he only got better and the Patriots became a force to be reckoned with in the NFL. Some of his best performance have come at some clutch moments.
One of those iconic moments came in Super Bowl LI against the Atlanta Falcons. Tom Brady got the snap, stepped back into the pocket, threw the ball towards Edelman who had two defenders on him. One of the defenders tipped the ball into the air, somehow, through some sort of divine feat of willpower he managed to catch the ball in between the defenders. Astonishing the world.
Having played as a quarterback, he understands their perspective and how they approach the game. In arguably his best performance for the Patriots, he won Super Bowl MVP at Super Bowl LIII. The Patriots beat the Los Angeles Rams that day by 13-3 and Edelman finished the game with with 10 receptions for 141 yards. He ended his career with 620 receptions, 2nd in franchise history.
Can the Patriots find another Julian Edelman to lead them back to glory?
The NFL is all about legacies. The Patriots have a legacy of winning. Tom Brady and Julian Edelman guaranteed that the world knew who the New England Patriots were. The Patriots have become one of the faces of the NFL. However, since the departure of Brady the organization has struggled to find the same magic that saw them win six Super Bowls. Julian Edelman deserves to be in the Patriots Hall of Fame alongside legendary players. One might go so far as to suggest the NFL Hall of Fame one day? Lets all hope the Patriots strike gold with another player as good as Julian Edelman.
