ATLANTA — Julian Edelman spent last year’s Super Bowl watching his teammates play. A year later, he is happy to be more than a spectator.
Edelman missed last year’s game, and the whole season, with a torn ACL. Now, his Patriots are back for the third straight year and Edelman is a key piece for the team in its quest to beat the Rams on Sunday in Super Bowl 53.
“It means the world,” Edelman said. “This is what you play the game for and it’s been a crazy year for me, two years. I have a kid, tear your ACL, you miss four games [with a PED suspension]. It’s been a mentally, physically, emotionally exhausting year. You put all that effort into overcoming that for this game. It’s been a heck of a year to get to go out and play with your teammates and see how this thing’s evolved out. It’s always a great thing getting to play in the last game of the year.”
Edelman returned this year to catch 74 passes for 850 yards and six touchdowns after the PED suspension. In the AFC Championship game, he played a huge role in New England’s overtime win over the Chiefs. He had seven catches for 96 yards, including two huge third-down conversions in overtime.
He and quarterback Tom Brady always seem to be on the same wavelength and Edelman is usually in the right spot when Brady needs him.
“He’s always been kind of like my little brother, in a good way,” Brady said. “I don’t have a little brother but he’s kind of like a little brother and he knows how much I love him. What he’s done with his career has been incredible and he’s so impressive as a player, as a leader — to go from playing quarterback in college to receiver in the pros and then to become really a dominant receiver in the pros, I think speaks to his work ethic. I’m so happy in everything that he achieves and obviously I can’t say enough good things about Jules.”
Edelman has done plenty of damage in the postseason in his career. He made one of the toughest catches in Super Bowl history two years ago against the Falcons. Edelman is second on the career postseason receptions list with 105. Jerry Rice is No. 1 on the list with 151 catches.
“He’s got that attitude,” Rice told The Athletic last week, “That ‘f— you’ attitude: ‘I’m going to do what I want to do, and I’m going to go out and I’m going to ball. I’m going to make catches. I’m going to score touchdowns. I’m going to do whatever I have to do to help my team win.’ You can only have an appreciation for that.”
Edelman, who grew up in Redwood City, Calif., now will try to make Rice look good.
“I’ve got to live up to it now, right?” Edelman said. “When Jerry Rice says stuff like that, that’s an honor and that’s an unbelievable thing. I’m from the Bay Area. I spent my childhood loving the Niners and especially a guy like him. That’s cool but honestly my focus is on the Los Angeles Rams. I’ve been through this whole thing and the whole media storm and you’re so programmed to, ‘All right, next.’ You see it and you giggle but you’re thinking about the Rams.”
Brady marveled at Edelman approaching Rice, pointing out he is not a big-bodied wide receiver.
“It’s really beyond incredible for Jules to do that,” Brady said. “When you talk about Jerry Rice, that’s a guy that’s set every receiving record in the history of the NFL basically. For Jules to be right there as one of two guys including him, again it’s just such a credit to Jules.
“Look at his stature. He wasn’t built like Megatron [Calvin Johnson]. He’s just built the way he was built and I think he’s just worked so hard over the years to learn how to play receiver. I think his quarterback background’s probably helped him in terms of knowing where to be, knowing how to get open and knowing when the quarterback wants to get rid of the ball. He’s just done an incredible job.”
