Earning a spot on the Patriots’ roster wasn’t the only objective for Julian Edelman over his first few years in the NFL.
He also wanted to gain the respect and trust of his quarterback.
After a relatively quiet rookie season, Edelman started to carve out a more prominent role in New England and in the process received more attention from Tom Brady. The feisty slot receiver landed invitations to throwing sessions with the future Hall of Fame signal-caller, and it was during those offseason workouts when Edelman realized Brady was on a different level than his competitors.
“He’s a huge part of my career,” Edelman said on the latest episode of “Inside the NFL.” “In 2010, I moved out to Los Angeles because I heard he used to throw with players. That year he called me once and I left everything and I went to it. The next year he called me a couple more times. And I just wanted to be around him just to see what it took and that’s the time I realized this man was built differently.
“We’re in February, we’re running 60 routes a day, then he’s over here getting his bodywork. That’s when I learned the aura of why this man is so special, so great. He never took a day off. He always — had a purpose any time — February, March, April, when we weren’t with the team — he had a purpose any time he went to the practice field, to go and accomplish something. I took that and I tried to apply it to my career and it helps a lot of younger players when they get to see an ultimate professional.”
All of the extra work put in by Brady and Edelman ultimately paid dividends. TB12 ended his Super Bowl victory “drought” in the 2014 season and went on to hoist the Lombardi Trophy two more times alongside Edelman.
