Julian Edelman, the former Patriots wide receiver, often manages to tickle his followers with his candidness and intriguing storytelling. On his podcast, Games with Names, Edelman recently recounted his experiences from a trip to London in 2012 for a game against the St. Louis Rams. Though the 45-7 win made the overall experience even more thrilling for the football star, the football star was brutally honest about a few details that left him underwhelmed.
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In a recent episode, Edelman, 38, openly discussed how they, as American football players, were somewhat unrecognized in London compared to their star status back home. He mentioned that they could walk around Hyde Park and practice throwing footballs without much fanfare. Though quite a new experience for the former wide receiver, he highlighted one major disappointment in his own words.
“The one thing that the biggest complaint was — the food. We get over there — no one liked any of the food.”
However, there were more challenges that waited for the American stars as they set foot at the Wembley Stadium in London. Edelman touched upon the practical difficulties encountered while playing at Wembley, a venue primarily designed for soccer.
“We played at Wembley. The grass was made for like the soccer guys. The grass was tearing up, and it was super long. Guys were slipping on it.”
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That said, the touristy trip also took a wild turn for him during the visit, as a future Patriots wide receiver stepped into the picture.
Edelman Shares a Wild Incident From London
Out of the two international games Edelman played as a Patriot, the latter was against the St. Louis Rams. After the game, which the Patriots comfortably won, the former wideout ran into Danny Amendola, who was with the Rams at the time.
Edelman and his team went to a famous bar where other Rams players were also present, and they enjoyed each other’s company. However, tensions escalated between linemen from both teams later on, prompting Edelman and Amendola to intervene and later embark on an adventure together for the rest of the night.
“[Danny] Amendola was on the Rams at the time, so we were chilling, having a good time. I think some linemen on both teams were about to start squaring off in this club. Things got wild, and we’re trying to break up a fight. Me and Danny end up going on an adventure and leaving afterwards. It was pretty crazy.”
The anecdote makes sense for those who understand the spirited energy among NFL players even off the field. However, Edelman’s storytelling ability and candid recounting of events also gave a glimpse of how making the most of international trips sometimes took a backseat among players — who value winning and football above all else. But nothing without a little fun!
