Julian Edelman has gone from Kent State University quarterback to seventh-round draft pick to productive NFL wide receiver to now-Super Bowl MVP, and Bill Belichick hasn’t changed one bit over the course of his career.
The New England Patriots wide receiver traveled an unconventional road to NFL stardom, a journey that culminated Sunday when Edelman grabbed 10 passes for 141 yards to earn Super Bowl MVP honors in the Patriots’ 13-3 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
Head coach Bill Belichick on Monday recounted the story of how he discovered Edelman, and the 32-year-old offered a humorous story of one of his first interactions with the legendary head coach after being drafted.
“I remember going in and seeing coach — I don’t know if he remembers this — but I was a rookie and it was like 11 o’clock at night,” Edelman said, via WEEI. “By the grace of God, we were walking out at the same time. I probably had said three words to him at the time before that. I was on the team for like six months. I just looked at him, because I saw him on the treadmill, watching film at 10 o’clock at night. I go, ‘Coach, you sure like football, huh?’ He goes, ‘It beats being a plumber. See you tomorrow.’
“When you’re seeing that, at the time, he was a three-time Super Bowl winning coach, head coach, and two-time winning assistant coach, you guys do that, I mean it’s going to rub off. If it doesn’t, you’re probably not going to be there.”
Belichick followed Edelman at the podium and was quick to tip his cap to plumbers.
“First of all, Julian misquoted me,” Belichick said. “I mean, I have a ton of respect for plumbers. I can’t really turn the water on myself. Those people do a great job. I think I said it beats working.”
While it might not be “work,” Belichick remains the best football coach on the planet, as was evidenced by the defensive game plan he put together to shut down the Rams’ high-flying offense, holding them to just 260 total yards.
Edelman, Tom Brady and Josh McDaniels did the rest, making just enough adjustments to find the end zone in the fourth quarter to propel New England to the sixth championship of the Brady-Belichick era.
