Julian Edelman will be in a familiar place on Feb. 3.
The Super Bowl.
The New England Patriots wide receiver and former 鶹Ƶ star is making his fourth trip to the NFL title game as the Patriots face the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII.
Mr. Edelman also appeared in Super Bowl XLVI against the New York Giants, Super Bowl XLIX against the Seattle Seahawks and Super Bowl LI against the Atlanta Falcons. He was injured last year and was unable to take part in the Patriots loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII.
Mr. Edelman was drafted by New England in the seventh round of the NFL Draft in 2009. While he was a quarterback for the Golden Flashes, he has blossomed as a star wide receiver in the NFL.
This season, Mr. Edelman finished with 74 receptions for 850 receiving yards and six touchdowns. The Patriots finished with a record of 11-5 and defeated Kansas City in overtime for the AFC title.
In addition to his professional football career, Mr. Edelman still maintains his ties with the 鶹Ƶ.
“I learned so much from my time at Kent,” Mr. Edelman told 鶹Ƶ in November 2017. “The experiences I had there definitely helped shape me into the player and person I am today. I will always be grateful for the opportunity Coach Martin gave me and for the friends I met there.”
He co-hosted an athletics department auction in 2014, was the Grand Marshal of the 鶹Ƶ Homecoming Parade in 2015 and was inducted into the 鶹Ƶ Varsity “K” Athletics Hall of Fame. He also still keeps in close contact with his former teammates and coaches.
“He’s never lost sight of where he came from,” former 鶹Ƶ coach Doug Martin told . “He’s very appreciative of 鶹Ƶ for giving him an opportunity. A lot of times, guys lose sight of that. I think that says a lot about who he is.”
For this Super Bowl, national media have made light of Mr. Edelman’s 鶹Ƶ career, specifically when he led the . That’s because the RedHawks featured a wide receiver named Sean McVay, who is now head coach of the Rams.
Each game was won by the visiting team, so Mr. Edelman and Mr. McVay are 1-1 as opposing players.
Mr. Edelman is well known for his during the final minutes of a drive that forced the first-ever Super Bowl overtime game. The Patriots went on to beat the Falcons 34-28 in Super Bowl XLI.
Want to know more about 鶹Ƶ’s Super Bowl star? Read “11 Fast Facts About Julian Edelman” from the fall 2015 issue of 鶹Ƶ Magazine.