Led by Tom Brady, the New England Patriots’ primary receivers, Randy Moss and Wes Welker, put up astonishing numbers to power the first part of their dynasty in the early 2000s. They also had Julian Edelman, who became Brady’s most trusted wideout in the second part of the Bill Belichick-Brady era in the 2010s.
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But when Welker and Moss ruled the roost, Edelman was just a rookie quarterback whom Bill drafted in the seventh round in 2009. The team then converted him to receiver. Edelman was so deep on the depth chart that he had to play as a returner, defensive back, or whatever role would get him on the field.
Edelman was eager to learn, and for that, he was willing to do anything. He observed two of the best route runners in the game, Moss and Welker, asking them questions, and even enduring their abuse and rookie hazing. Edelman wanted to do whatever it took to please them just to learn the game.
Moss, already one of the greatest receivers of all time, treated Jules like his scut monkey, affectionately calling him “Edelnut.” He’d have Edelman prepare his bath and fetch his Gatorade, a deceptively laborious task, since Moss insisted the tub water be at a precise temperature, with menthol and bath salts mixed in just right.
“He used to call me ‘Edelnut’. ‘Hey, Edelnut, get my hot tub about 103 and get my Gatorade.’ He never wanted to go on the regular hot tub. He had to have his own sh*t with a little it was like Menthol, rubbing alcohol in there, and he goes like, ‘Hey, Edelman, go get my towel, my Gatorade, make that hot tub about 103-102. Don’t f*ck it up,'” recalled Julian.
Around Christmas that year, Edelman had another encounter that left him both confused and a little shaken. Speaking on the New Heights podcast, he recalled how his attempts to be overly pleasant to Moss once backfired.
The Hall of Famer was on the phone with his mother, sharing holiday wishes, when Edelman, thinking he was just being nice, interrupted to ask Moss to pass along a “Merry Christmas” from him.
Jules didn’t expect what happened next. Moss shouted at him, calling him “Edelnut” and telling him in no uncertain terms to keep his mouth shut anytime he saw him talking to his mother. Edelman just walked away, scared shitless, and learning a valuable lesson.
“This one time, Randy, it was like the day before Christmas, and we had to work, we had a game on Christmas. Randy was talking to his mom, and I just walked by and was like, ‘hey, Randy, tell Mama Moss, I said, Merry Christmas,'” recounted Edelman.
“He goes Edelnut, when I’m talking to my motherf*ckin mom, you shut the f*ck up. I walked away without eye contact. I was so scared, I was a rookie. He be like, ‘Don’t you f*ckin talk to me when I’m talking to my mom,'” he added.
Affectionate nicknames and the occasional harsh words were just part of the package with Moss. When he wasn’t teasing, he was teaching, and Edelman soaked it all in: How to track the ball, refine his routes, and master the nuances of playing receiver.
For a rookie fighting to carve out a spot in the NFL, that knowledge was gold. Edelman took those lessons, worked relentlessly, and transformed himself from a special-teams utility player into Brady’s go-to weapon.
Edelman’s persistence and perseverance paid off. Not only did he build a long NFL career, but he also won three Super Bowls and even earned a Super Bowl MVP.
