Julian Edelman reflects on his Patriots Hall of Fame career: ‘Foxborough will always be my home’
Edelman, who was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame on Sunday, made some brief remarks on Sunday.
FOXBOROUGH – Sporting his brand new red Patriots Hall of Fame jacket, a pair of blue jeans, and black sunglasses, Julian Edelman jogged up to the podium at halftime and hugged team owner Robert Kraft.
Edelman, who was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame Saturday, kept his remarks brief, joking that Mike Vrabel told him his previous speech was too long.
The former 7th round pick turned Super Bowl MVP said he wasn’t sure what to make of New England when he first got here, but it quickly began to feel like home.
“Getting drafted here to New England — I didn’t really know what to expect,” Edelman said. “Being from a blue-collar, working-class family from Northern California, I soon realized this was the perfect fit for me to be in this region.”
The former Kent State quarterback made enough noise in training camp to make the team as a wide receiver, and he never looked back, eventually becoming a fan favorite in Foxborough.
“We had some really long days during the week,” Edelman said. “But you guys made the Sundays worth it. Some of the most memorable memories I’ll ever have in my life with my family have come right here in Foxborough on this field.
Kraft called Edelman “Mr. Foxborough Forever” at the end of his introduction. The 5-foot-10, 198-pound Edelman was never the biggest player on the field, but he had other qualities that served him well during his career.
“Here in New England, we don’t measure greatness by height or weight,” Kraft said. “We measure it by heart. We celebrate the grinders, the ones who outwork, outlast, and outplay the competition. The ones whose greatness isn’t gifted, but earned, and we especially love the little guys who always come up big.”
“No receiver in Patriots history consistently came up bigger than Julian Edelman. When the lights were the brightest, he was at his best.”
Edelman became a legendary figure among late-round draft-picks, Kraft said. He was an example of a player who squeezed every last bit of juice out of his career, turning short odds into his favor and parlaying them into an 11 year career. He spent the entirety of it with the Patriots.
“So Patriot Nation, I just want to say thank you for bringing in me, my family, and making this our home,” Edelman said. “Foxborough will always be my home, 12 years, nowhere else. And we all got to remember one thing — tough times don’t last. Tough people do. And you’ve always got to believe. Foxborough Forever.”
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