Julian Edelman had the good luck to have the full support of his parents behind him as he pursued a pro career in football. They stood by him through all the ups and downs. But as rewarding as it is to be the proud parent of a successful athlete, it is also just as difficult when they are playing as physically a taxing sport as football.
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Joining his son on his podcast ‘Games With Names,’ Frank Edelman spilled the beans on what it is like to be the parent of a football player. And it’s not all pretty. Talking about how difficult it is to hear other people criticize his child in front of him, Frank explained how the family eventually stopped having game-night parties with friends.
They not only stopped inviting their friends over on days when Julian was playing but according to Frank, his wife and daughter would “shut the drapes on game day and we wouldn’t let anybody over.”
It was not only the criticism that bothered the family but also the former wide receiver getting “dinged up” during the game. WRs are the second most at-risk players and regularly endure significant hits while catching passes among defenders out for blood. So, it’s only natural that the family was anxious about his safety during games. No parent wants to watch their kid get hurt.
The tensions apparently ran so high that they stopped having friends over and would even sit separately during games!
The Difficulties of Being the Parents of an NFL Player
Football is a notoriously physically taxing game for players. From CTE to heart troubles, players over the years have paid dearly for their on-field ambitions. And injuries during games are accepted as normal. Edelman’s own long list of injuries include concussions, a sprained shoulder, a broken forearm, a fractured hand, several foot and ankle sprains, and multiple fractures of his foot.
While his father worried excessively about his injuries, he realized this was the case for all parents with kids in the NFL. Explaining how heightened their anxieties would be during game day, Frank described how he and his wife would have to sit separately during games or they would end up fighting. However, he explained this was a normal sentiment among the other parents in the parent box at games.
