What Super Bowl-bound Jordan Matthews said about his time with the Patriots
Lessons from Julian Edelman and Bill Belichick stuck with the 27-year-old.
Jordan Matthews’s stay in New England might have been brief, but the lessons he learned from Julian Edelman and Bill Belichick have carried him to the Super Bowl.
Matthews never played a game with the Patriots after signing a one-year contract in April 2018 that ended with an injury settlement and a move to the Eagles. Before the move to Philadelphia, Matthews worked out with the then-suspended Edelman.
“I’ll never forget, we [went to Boston College] to go run routes one day, and I come there [with] my cleats, shirt, shorts,” Matthews said Monday during Super Bowl LIV Opening Night. “Then I see Julian Edelman come out, and he throws down this huge bag. He’s got pads, a helmet, gloves. I was like, ‘This guy is working on a totally different level than I am.’
“So now, any time I go do routes in the offseason, no matter what month, I’ve got my helmet and shoulder pads on. That’s something I’ll always keep from Julian. He had a real big impact on me. I love him as a player.”
Matthews said Belichick taught him not to look for “instant gratification,” a value that has likely helped the 27-year-old receiver through a tumultuous season. Matthews signed a one-year deal with San Francisco in the offseason but didn’t survive final roster cuts. Re-signed Oct. 3, he was let go again Oct. 26.
After a two-week stint in Philadelphia – his third with the Eagles – in November, Matthews was re-signed by the 49ers December 11. He has appeared in three games this season, most recently with the Eagles on Nov. 24.
“I learned the value of hard work at a totally different level,” Matthews said. “You’ve got to do your job great, time in and time out, before Bill is going to come over to you and say, ‘Hey, I like how you’re playing. And that’s not any shade on Bill.
“I think that’s the way it should be, because that’s life. You guys have probably been working your jobs for years, and it takes a long time to be noticed or recognized, probably, by your bosses. That’s how Bill wants stuff to be run. He wants it to be run like real life, and he wants to teach guys the value of hard work.”
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