A man who laid the groundwork for the Patriots to become a dynasty and a wide receiver who shattered expectations to help New England win three Super Bowls are now enshrined in Foxboro’s history.
Julian Edelman and Bill Parcells put on their red coats for the first time on Saturday, as thousands of fans turned out to Patriot Place to watch the legends be inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame.
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Libby O’Neill/Boston Herald
Bill Parcells speaks to the crowd after being inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame on Saturday. (Libby O’Neill/Boston Herald)
Libby O’Neill/Boston Herald
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Bill Parcells speaks to the crowd after being inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame on Saturday. (Libby O’Neill/Boston Herald)
“These two men have helped provide all of us with so many amazing memories,“ long-time stadium voice John Rooke said at the beginning of an emotional, two-hour ceremony, “so today it is our turn to make this moment memorable for them and their families.”
Edelman and Parcells sat on stage with fellow Hall of Famers Raymond Claiborne, Ty Law, Willie McGinnest, Stanley Morgan, Dante Scarnecchia, Andre Tippett, and Mike Vrabel, who is in his first season as Patriots head coach.
Fans voted Edelman into the Hall of Fame this past May, signaling their appreciation for a wide receiver who team President Jonathan Kraft said Saturday “wasn’t supposed to make the team his rookie year.”
That’s because the Patriots drafted Edelman in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played quarterback at Kent State, but New England wanted to test him as a pass catcher.
Edelman earned his keep. He caught some of most memorable passes from legendary quarterback Tom Brady en route to three Super Bowl victories, being named as MVP in the last, Super Bowl LIII against the Rams.
“Julian walked into Foxboro without any fanfare,” Kraft said. “Julian wasn’t even supposed to make the team his rookie year. He certainly wasn’t supposed to go on to become Tom Brady’s go-to guy. And he definitely wasn’t supposed to go on to become a Super Bowl MVP.”
“But Julian didn’t just defy the expectations,” the team president added, “he obliterated them.”
Edelman spoke passionately about his 12-year career, all spent in New England, and became emotional at times. He admitted he had to “Google” where Foxboro was after he was drafted, and he called seeing Brady pass to Randy Moss, “poetry in motion.”
He gave thanks to an endless list of teammates, coaches and staffers throughout the entire franchise. But it was the fans he shared the most appreciation for.
“It’s something that is unimaginable,” Edelman told reporters. “It’s crazy, and it warms my heart so much to have a connection with the community that I got to represent for 12 years. I became an adult here. … This place will always have an impact on me.”
Parcells was nominated five times by the Hall’s selection committee before team owner Robert Kraft made an exception and personally extended an invitation over the phone last March.
Parcells legitimized the franchise upon his arrival as a Super Bowl-winning coach in 1993 and took the Patriots to the playoffs in two of his four seasons. The Patriots enjoyed a three-win jump in his first season, then made the playoffs the following year when Parcells was named NFL Coach of the Year.
After a down season in 1995, Parcells led the Patriots to their second Super Bowl appearance in franchise history, thanks to a 20-6 AFC Championship win over the Jaguars.
Robert Kraft recounted Saturday how the Patriots ended Parcells’ first year on a four-game win streak, finishing with a “dramatic overtime victory against the Dolphins.”
“It was the most excitement that Patriots fans felt in nearly a decade,” the team owner said. “That momentum and belief he inspired was a major reason I made the decision to keep the team here in New England, preventing it from moving to St. Louis.”
Parcells’ controversial exit to coach the Jets in 1997 stoked a division rivalry for years to come. During his speech Saturday, he recalled memories and lessons he gained from when he started his NFL coaching career as the linebackers coach for the Patriots in 1980 under head coach Ron Erhardt.
“This place has a place in my heart,” Parcells said. “It always will.”
“We sometimes reflect on things,” he added, ”and you wish you would’ve done things a little differently. When I come back here and see this I wish I would’ve done things a bit differently.”
