FOXBOROUGH – Julian Edelman never changed colors. He never left the Patriots for another team.
He was tempted by Tom Brady to go to Tampa Bay at one point, but the wide receiver said no thank you.
Edelman, who was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame Saturday with Bill Parcells, further explained why he remained in Foxborough his entire 12-year career following the ceremony.
“I was a fan when I was a kid. And I used to get my feelings hurt when my guy left,” he said. “When Jerry Rice went to the Raiders, I said: ‘What the heck? What are we doing?’ … I was content being a Patriot my whole life.”
Edelman also said he never thought about having a moment like this where he’d be inducted into his team’s Hall of Fame. He was too busy trying to show people that he belonged in the NFL.
“I was always trying to prove someone wrong, whether it was a coach, this, that, or the other,” said Edelman, who was moved by all the No. 11 jerseys in the crowd. “And, I think ultimately, that’s what got me here. Just being able to focus with what was on my plate each and every day. Using frustration as fuel for whatever situation arose.”
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