Photo courtesy of Flickr
Neil Giesser
Sports Reporter
Longtime Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman announced his retirement on April 12th, just before what was to be his 13th season as a Patriot. Sadly, the Patriots cut Edelman due to a failed physical, either due to him being out of shape or to the ongoing injuries he had been battling for years. When the New England Patriots terminated his contract, he decided to retire.
Julian Edelman was born in 1986 in Redwood City, California. After wrapping up his student-athlete career at Kent State as a three-star recruit, Edelman got drafted by the Patriots at pick number 232 in 2009 and played out his whole 12 season career as a Patriot.
Edelman did a lot for New England, both on and off the field. On the field, his work ethic and his love for the game of football were unlike any other. In his tremendous career, he was a three-time Super Bowl champion, leading Super Bowls LI, LII, and XLIX in receiving yards. Additionally, he won a Super Bowl MVP; he had ten catches for 141 yards which led the Patriots and were more than half of the Patriots’ total receiving yardage of that game.
In addition to his skill, Edelman’s attitude and optimism were quite contagious. Off the field, Edelman raised money for charity and did community service. After his Super Bowl victory in 2019, Edelman went on the Ellen show and agreed to shave his beard to raise money for charity. After Ellen shaved it, she agreed to give him $10,000 to donate to the Boston Boys and Girls’ club. Edelman matched Ellen’s donation with $10,000 of his own, bringing the total to $20,000. Clearly, Julian Edelman was an amazing person who had a great interest in helping his community.
Julian Edelman’s strengths as a player and a person are good indicators of the likelihood of his future success. As a matter of fact, as of April 21st, Julian Edelman announced that he will be joining the cast of Inside The NFL, a weekly talk show hosted by four other previous pro players. Although Edelman was a great guy and once was an amazing player, his injuries took a toll on his performance. Fortunately for New England fans, Edelman provided wonderful, exciting entertainment and created great memories for a whole generation.
