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This Super Bowl means more than usual for Patriots’ Edelman

4 min read

ALTANTA – Where would the New England Patriots be without Julian Edelman?

Probably not in the Super Bowl.

Yes, last year the Patriots made it to Minneapolis without him, but they had Danny Amendola to catch Tom Brady’s precise passes over the middle and in clutch situations.

But without both Amendola, who left for Miami, and Edelman, who was suspended the first four games of the season, the Patriots struggled. They limped to a 2-2 record.

Being back in the Super Bowl has so much more meaning than in past years for Edelman and the entire Patriots squad.

“It means the world,” he said. “This is what you play the game for, and it’s been a crazy year for me – crazy two years. I have a kid, tear your ACL, you miss four games (suspension). It’s been a mentally, physically, emotionally exhausting year. You put all that effort into overcoming that for this game, though.”

And that has made things so much more special for the player drafted almost as an afterthought in the seventh round in 2009.

“It’s been a heck of a year to get to go out and play with your teammates and see how this thing’s evolved,” he said. “It’s always a great thing getting to play in the last game of the year.”

Last year, of course, Edelman had to watch rather than play. When it came to the Super Bowl, that was excruciating.

“It was tough,” he said. “You’ve got mixed emotions. You’re happy your teammates are there. You’ve seen some of these younger guys come in as rookies and develop big roles and make big plays to get to the Super Bowl, and you’re excited for them, but then you also have hurt feeling because you’re not playing.”

“That’s kind of how you feel, but that was last year, and this year I’m thinking about the Los Angeles Rams.”

But when he goes out for his clutch catches, as he did against the Kansas City Chiefs on the overtime game-winning drive, what’s going through his mind?

“Honestly, when you’re in those types of situations, you’re thinking about all the coaching points, the details of the route, the this, the that,” he said.

“The better you do it (in practice), the more you do it, the better shot you have of doing it in the game so that’s what we’re going to continue to try to do … put ourselves – at least myself – in the position to go in confident and try to execute in the game.”

Remember also that Edelman is key on special teams as a punt returner. And, the Rams will have one of the best punters there is in Johnny Hekker. But the fact Edelman played in previous Super Bowls helps him handle all of that.

“Fortunately, I’ve played in a couple of these and you get to refine your routine and it allows you to think about football,” he said. “It allows you to think about the Los Angeles Rams and what they’re doing and how they are on defense and special teams and Hekker being a quarterback back there as a punter. That’s what (Super Bowl experience) allows you to do, because you have a little experience with that.”

The combination of Edelman and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has been explosive and incredible at times.

“You’ve got two fiery guys,” Patriots defensive back Jason McCourty said. “You see two guys that are the ultimate competitor, how hard they both compete in practice and you see the bromance at times, you see the fiery looks they give each other sometimes if someone messes up. … I think it’s almost like brothers.”

“For me, as a football fan, as a corner, it’s a lot of fun to compete against those two guys,” McCourty said.

Edelman was asked late last week the biggest thing he’s learned going through all his challenges.

“I’m still trying to learn,” he said. “I’ll tell you in two weeks. In two weeks I can answer that question.”

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