FOXBOROUGH – Fans turned out in droves Saturday to take in the Hall of Fame ceremony for three-time Super Bowl-winning receiver Julian Edelman and former head coach Bill Parcells.
Thousands of onlookers took in the ceremony at Patriot Plaza. They lined the stairs that lead to the shops at Patriot Place. Others huddled near the Tom Brady statue that sits in front of the tower, or stood in the various walkways that outline the stadium and plaza.
Beyond the fans, there were more than 50 Patriots alumni – spanning six decades – in attendance. And more than a half dozen Patriot Hall of Famers (Andre Tippett, Raymond Clayborn, Ty Law, Stanley Morgan, Dante Scarnecchia, Mike Vrabel) also on hand for the festivities.
Brady and Rob Gronkowski also provided recorded messages on behalf of Edelman, who was voted in via fan ballot. Parcells was given the nod as a contributor by team owner Robert Kraft.
Edelman and Parcells received their red jackets during the 4 p.m. ceremony.
Kraft introduced Parcells, calling him the “man who helped lay the foundation” for the dynasty, while Patriots president Jonathan Kraft introduced Edelman, saying “being underestimated fuels greatness.”
Here are 5 takeaways from the event:
Kraft and Parcells are in a good place
The two men had been at odds for nearly three decades thanks, in part, to Parcells fleeing Foxborough and planning his exit to the New York Jets during Super Bowl week ahead of the Patriots game with the Green Bay Packers.
Parcells, who essentially got the franchise back on the map, and back to respectability, fled largely because, as he famously said, wasn’t allowed to “shop for the groceries,” thanks to an overzealous owner.
But as Kraft said, both men have “mellowed” over the years. They are now at a point where they can share laughs and swap stories, and reflect on the foundation they built together.
Kraft warmly thanked Parcells before slipping the red jacket on the now 84-year old former coach.
“Bill stepped into a franchise in turmoil, and gave it something it desperately needed: identity, structure and hope,” Kraft said. “He didn’t just arrive in Foxborough, he stormed it.”
During his acceptance speech, Parcells acknowledged regret over what happened.
“This place has a place in my heart. It always will,” he said. “We sometimes reflect on things, and, you wish you would have done things a little differently. When I come back here, and I see this, I wish I would have done things a little differently.”
As the rest of the proceedings took place, Kraft and Parcells, who were seated next to each other, could be seen chatting, laughing, and smiling.
Dante Scarnecchia illustrates beauty of Parcells
During a panel discussion, Scarnecchia, the Patriots former legendary offensive line coach, relayed a story out of Parcells playbook that really hit him.
Early on, Parcells got in front of the team and on a white board using a black felt pen, in big letters, as Scar remembered, wrote one word: Conflict.
“I was sitting in the back of the room thinking, ‘Oh boy, this is going to be good,” Scarnecchia recalled. “And here’s what he said. Fellas, conflict is a bi-product of one or two things. You like to me, or you fail to meet my expectations, and we’re going to be in conflict.”
Scarnecchia believes the next thing Parcells said to the group, “showed the wisdom of this guy.”
“He said, it works both ways,” Scarnecchia said. “If I lie to you, or I fail to meet your expectations, then you have a right to be in conflict with me. And if you think about that, what an amazing way to have relationships with people. Don’t lie. And do everything you can to meet their expectations. And that’s what he strove to do with all of the teams and players he ever coached.”
He told Parcells it was a life lesson he’s never forgotten. It’s something he teaches to his kids and grandkids.
Jonathan Kraft gets to heart of Edelman’s greatness
In introducing Edelman, Kraft perfectly hit on what made the receiver great, and why he was such an important role model for the organization.
He talked about Edelman being a 7th-round draft choice with no expectations whatsoever.
“Julian walked into Foxborough without any fanfare. All he had was a 7th-round draft card, a quarterback’s resume from Kent State, a chip on his shoulder as big as Gillette Stadium, and he had an out-of-this world work ethic and motivation instilled in him by his father Frank. 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 be a Super Bowl MVP.”
Kraft said Edelman didn’t just defy expectations, “he obliterated them.”
He was not only a clutch receiver, but also a great punt returner who also moonlighted playing defense if the need arose.
“He made every kid in New England believe that it was about heart over height,” Kraft said, “it was about hustle over height, and that being underestimated fuels greatness.”
Edelman shares important Brady lesson
Edelman, of course, thanked his quarterback, Brady, for helping him achieve greatness. He said Brady set the example for everyone, and told a funny story that illustrated the point.
“One of the first things Tom Brady ever said to me, I think we just out of one of our first OTA practices … and I said, ‘Man, you work so hard,’”” Edelman said. “He looked at me with those blue eyes, and that jawline, and he goes: ‘Babe, if all you ever do, is all you ever done, then all you ever get, is all you ever got … then he winked at me and left.”
As in, if you don’t work harder than everyone else, that’s all you’re ever going to get. It stuck with Edelman.
Edelman nuggets
His speech went for 32 minutes.
Edelman thanked everyone from coaches, players, support staff, agents, family and beyond.
He had comments for everyone. Here are a few of the more memorable ones.
On Bill Belichick: “I lived in constant fear of Coach. I still kinda do … your coaching was tough, it was hard, it was honest. Sometimes we didn’t understand why we were doing what we were doing, but it always seemed to pay off.”
On Danny Amendola: “You guys are cheering, but when he signed here, I wasn’t cheering. I was pissed about it. But you know what, Danny being the calm, cool, collect dude he was, he always looked out for me. He always knew when I was pissed off about something. And he would always bring me up.”
On the team’s mentality: “Just like in life, nothing in the game of football is achievable alone. And on this team, we only cared about one stat, and one stat only: the win-loss column.”
On his mom: “Your fire was me in between the lines.”
On his dad: “You instilled work ethic, that nothing in life is given to you or fair … you preached do the little things and focus on what you can control. That’s something I lived by.”
On Patriot Nation: “New England was the perfect fit for my mentality. A hard-working region that puts heart and toughness above all.”
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