Julian Edelman
 

Jules, one of my absolute favorite all time athletes is officially retiring. The guy was a undersized running quarterback at a secondary football university, Kent State, and was not even on most NFL teams draft board. Bill Belichick saw something special in the guy and drafted him late in the 7th round as a project that might work out because the guy simply was a "football player with heart". Bill converted him into a punt returner and wide receiver project that no one expected to make the team. He made the team, and became the best punt returner in NFL history. He also replaced Wes Welker as probably the best slot receiver in NFL history. His performance in the clutch (the playoffs) as a wide receiver is second only to the legendary Jerry Rice. Jules threw touchdown passes, played cornerback on defense, returned punts, slot receiver, outside receiver, and did anything else the coach asked of him. Jules finished his career with three Super Bowl rings and a Super Bowl MVP. He was absolutely the most dedicated, crazy, versatile, unselfish, fearless, and overachieving football player ever. Thanks for all the memories : )

I saw him play at a few games I attended in person and I completely agree. On TV you didn’t always see the different positions and plays he made. He did so much more to help the team win besides receiving the ball. An amazing player.

Julian was an exceptional player and teammate. The catch against the Falcons was a tribute to his athleticism and fearlessness.
I hope he continues as a coach. He has a lot to offer personally and professionally.

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Lived in Boston area for 20 years - much of it, the heyday of SB Patriots. "The catch" epitomized the training and focus of many on that team during those times. Edelman was the poster-guy with those attributes. But all good things come to an end. Certainly hope that his health is fine, and that he finds a fulfilling future in other endeavors.

My daughter-in-law met him at a party many years ago, she hugged him. And told us all that his bicep was like solid granite....
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It's deflating to learn of his retirement.

Huh?

Great player but nowhere near the greatest punt returner.

excellent player, he'll be missed

I agree. I always enjoyed watching him play. I wish him the best.

Agreed! And I’m no Patriot fan.

You could not have described him better. Tougher than nails, definitely a Hall of Fame quality player.

Tougher than nails, yes. Hall of Famer, no.

Great, gutsy player, but HOF status is all about stats and JE doesn't have the numbers to even be considered. There are a number of receivers that have better numbers that aren't in and may never be. JE was never named All Pro or even selected to a Pro Bowl and I don't think there are any modern players in without those basic qualifiers.

He’ll be on the Tampa team soon....

Seems to have slipped by unnoticed!:icon_wink:

I saw my first patriot game while home on leave they played the game in Harvard stadium in 1960. If they ever create a hall of fame just for tough guys or clutch playoff guys he’s in but for the regular hall of fame until Hines Ward gets
In Edelman is not even in the conversation

An amazing player and an amazing individual.

What is incredible is that a sixth round draft choice, 199th over all, paired up with a seventh round draft choice 232nd overall to become one of the greatest quarterback/receiver combinations in the history of the NFL.

Edelman will surely be missed but I am not surprised. He was very banged up over his career and you could see this coming.

Thank you Julian for all the thrills.

Edelman was exceptional
True, that it's all about the numbers. That's all tv commentators talk about and all they know which is why some of them are clueless about the game they are commenting on.

thanks for the background research on Edelman. Been seeing headlines & column titles about his retirement & wondered about him but not wondering enough to do the research. Your description s & comments are way better than Wikipedia! Appreciate your postings & knowledge.

You forgot outstanding down field blocker. One of the best I've seen was more than willing to sacrifice himself. I often wondered what his career would look like if he played more receiver those first four years as he sat behind Wes Welker.

Must be a Patriot fan

When I was a Cub Scout in the 60's one of the Dads took us to see a Pats game at Fenway Park.

People forget how low rent the Pats were before Kraft bought the team.

My favorite Foxboro Stadium/bad Pats team story is one where a guy goes Xmass shopping at the South Shore Plaza in Braintree the Saturday before the last game of the season. Pats had only won a few games that year. He takes his 2 tickets for Sundays game and leaves them on his windshield with a "2 free tickets" sign.

He comes back from shopping and finds 4 tickets on his windshield.

Great Post! The last piece of a Great Dynasty

Great point, and let’s not forget what a ferocious hitter he was when he played defense. He easily could have been an awesome defensive secondary player. I will never forget the play early in the Super Bowl against Seattle when TB12 threw an interception in the red zone and Jules took out the cornerback who intercepted the pass with one of the most ferocious tackles I have ever seen. If I remember correctly, he broke the guys arm, tore his ACL, and concussed him all on the same hit. Then for the rest of the game, Jules abused the guy who replaced the guy he took out.

Over the many decades of being a Pats fan (now a Bucs - Brady fan also)...really got to appreciate some of the outstanding smaller players with huge "hearts/competitiveness", skills, talent and clutch performances. The guys for me on this list include Edelman, Troy Brown and Welker - they made watching football so much better.

I wasn’t around those years playing
 

playing at Fenway , I was busy playing in those Southeast Asia hot spots , but my dad loved seeing them play there . I didn’t get to be a Cub Scout but a month short of my 16 birthday in 1953 I found myself in the first parachute battalion of the French Foreign Legion , very long story lol

My father took me their first home game against the Denver Broncos Sept 9, 1960 at BU Field (later renamed Nickerson Field. I was nine years old and I hardly remember anything about it.

I also saw them play at Harvard Stadium in the 1970 with Joe Kapp at quarterback. They went 2-12 that year and people were giving tickets away.

A lot of people outside New England don't realize how bad and for how long the Patriots were bad. I think that's one of the reason that there is so much excitement over the winning teams of the 21st century. We were making up for 40 years of sucking.