FOXBORO, Mass. — Julian Edelman typically addresses reporters in front of his locker at Gillette Stadium. He did so from the podium in the New England Patriots’ media workroom Friday, though, and put on a show worthy of the platform.
It all started when the wide receiver was asked about a jumbo-sized cutout of quarterback Tom Brady’s face that had been spotted near Edelman’s stall earlier in the week (and since has made its way over to defensive tackle Adam Butler’s locker).
Here’s a full transcript of the entertaining exchange between Edelman and multiple reporters, which yielded a few interesting nuggets about his relationship with Brady:
Reporter: There’s a poster-sized head of Tom Brady that’s been floating around the locker room recently, and it was by your locker, I guess. Any reason for having that lying around?
Edelman: “I have no clue what you’re talking about.”
You sure?
“Yeah”
Just figured I’d ask.
“I have a Fathead of him in my room, though, so it’s pretty tight.”
Do you feel like you’re playing with one of your heroes at times out there?
“Honestly, I feel like I’m playing with an older brother that treats me like a younger brother, in a good and bad way.”
Why bad?
“I mean, it’s not always great being the younger brother. You get picked on. Sometimes he tries to pick on me. But as the younger brother, sometimes you have to take care of the older brother.”
He probably expects a lot of you.
“Something, yeah. He does. But it’s been pretty cool to get to play with Tom. I remember being on the asphalts of eighth grade, playing quarterback saying, ‘Yo, I’m Tom Brady.’ And then you play 10 years with him. So it’s been pretty cool. But now it’s kind of changed, and you think of what you can do to go out and try to win ballgames. You don’t really reflect. I don’t know. You guys ask all these reflections questions, this, that. They keep you so busy here — honestly, you’re like, ‘Oh, yeah, we did do that, didn’t we?’ But it’s pretty cool. Pretty cool.”
So you don’t know about the giant Tom Brady head in the locker room.
“No, I don’t know what you’re talking about. You trying to set me up or something?”
No, just a follow-up question.
“Well, follow-up answer.”
So there’s not a lot of savoring? You mentioned you’re not reflecting, but do you try to savor whatever moments and whatever games you have left to play together.
“I’m more of a sweets kind of guy. You know, the French way, where you eat a little sweets before dinner.”
Has it been sweet having that experience?
“It has. It really has. It’s been pretty sweet. Big game this week. Playing against a really good opponent (the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday), and it’ll be sweet to go out there and play and see what we measure up to be against a really tough team. I can tell you that’s sweet. And savory.”
