Julian Edelman mentoring younger wide receiver teammates
In addition to being Tom Brady’s favorite target, veteran receiver Julian Edelman is also fast becoming a trusted mentor to his younger teammates.
To the surprise of no one, Super Bowl 53 MVP Julian Edelman really can do it all.
After 10 years in the NFL, Edelman has gone from college quarterback to pro wide receiver, and from backup wideout and sometime punt returner to full-time No. 1 option for the Patriots offense. His transformation has been breathtaking to behold; it’s such an inspiring story that it’s actually the subject of an upcoming major sports documentary to air on Showtime.
With Rob Gronkowski seemingly content in his retirement from the NFL, it really could be more of “The Edelman Show” in the Patriots’ aerial attack this season. The 33-year-old seems as if he’s ready to embrace that role moving forward – and he’s also taking on the new role of being a mentor and teacher to some of his younger teammates on offense.
“I had teammates that help you, and then you had teammates that didn’t,” Edelman told NESN’s Zack Cox. “I like to be known as a guy that helped you. I like to give little pointers here and there, because the better we all are, the better the team is going to be. I like going out and trying to give information if they want information from me and go from there. It’s part of my job, I guess.”
Edelman notably has spent extra time working with first-round wide receiver draft pick N’Keal Harry. The two Patriots receivers were spotted on Instagram running routes together at a private practice with their quarterback, Tom Brady.
“He’s a big kid, and he works hard,” Edelman said of Harry. “We’re going to need him to play well. We’re going to need everyone to play well. He’s just a young guy that comes in, works hard. It’s tough to play receiver here, and he’s doing a good job at that by not making the same mistakes… I like his attitude. I like his body. He’s got a big body, and he’s got some nice abs, too. So hopefully he comes in and helps us right away.”
Edelman even shared a personal anecdote of the veteran player who helped him the most in his adjustment to the pros as a rookie – and the name might surprise some New England fans.
“A guy by the name of Fred Taylor would tell me my rookie year, when I would get a ride from him at the Residence Inn in his Range Rover, he would say, ‘Hey, rook. It’s a roller coaster. You’ve got to just ride that ride and hopefully keep it level-minded.’”
Taylor is obviously better known for his days as a Pro Bowl running back with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he did briefly play 13 games over two seasons with the Patriots before retiring in 2011.