Julian Edelman’s career reached its crowning moment this Saturday as he was officially inducted into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame. It was a fitting tribute to a player who entered the league as a seventh-round afterthought in the 2009 draft, starting out as a QB. Then, he went on to become one of the franchise’s most clutch wide receivers, helping deliver three Super Bowl titles and even claiming the MVP in one.
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But what makes Edelman worthy of a Hall of Fame induction is how consistently he played at a high level. Over 12 seasons in Foxborough, Edelman embodied reliability, hauling in 620 receptions for 6,822 yards and 36 touchdowns.
Add his postseason heroics, 580 catches for 6,311 yards and 41 touchdowns in tandem with Tom Brady, and his case for enshrinement was undeniable.
So fittingly, when he stepped to the podium, Edelman made sure to single out the man who had been the constant in his journey: Tom Brady.
“The standard you set, Tom, the drive, your dedication,” the ex-Patriots WR told the Gillette Stadium crowd, slightly pausing as he reflected on their two decades together.
“Your example drove us all to be better, and he was the same guy every day, and that was over 22 years. That’s a lot of days, guys. That’s a lot of days,” he added.
Edelman went on to share a personal story from one of his earliest practices as a rookie, recalling how Brady shaped his mindset almost instantly.
“One of the first things Tom Brady ever said to me… we just got out of one of our first OTA practices, and I was in awe of watching him throw. I go, ‘Man, you work so hard.’ And he looked at me with those blue eyes and that jawline, and he goes, ‘Babe, if all you ever do is all you ever done, then all you ever get is all you ever got.’ He then winked at me and left. I was like, what? And that was Tom.”
For Edelman, it seemed like moments like these defined his career as much as the catches and touchdowns. This is perhaps why he credited Brady for not only welcoming him into the Patriots’ system but also teaching him how to prepare, compete, and carry himself like a professional every single day.
“Thank you for bringing me in and allowing me to learn from you, bro,” he concluded, his voice carrying both gratitude and admiration.
While TB12 could not attend the ceremony, he sent a message of his own, praising Edelman as someone who “embodies what it means to be a Patriot.”
This mutual respect truly shows us what made Edelman and Brady’s partnership so unique: two late-round picks who defied expectations. And together, they carved out one of the most memorable chapters in NFL history. This is what makes them truly New England Patriots icons!
