Julian Edelman and Bill Belichick shared a touching moment after the New England Patriots beat the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII.
Edelman had just been named MVP of the game after racking up 10 catches for 141 yards in a game devoid of offense, and he found his coach to express gratitude.
“It was a long year, man. I appreciate you, coach.” Edelman told Belichick during a postgame embrace, as captured by NFL Films’ “Turning Point.”
“I appreciated you, buddy,” Belichick said.
“Through the downs and everything — the way you treated me — it was awesome. Like a fatherly figure,” Edelman said.
“You’ve earned it,” Belichick said.
For Edelman, the “downs” included a four-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs while he was returning from an ACL tear, which he suffered during the 2017 preseason. Because of the injury, he missed all of the 2017 season.
Despite the injury and suspension, Edelman was consistently one of the Patriots’ best offensive players during the 2018 season, and finished with 74 receptions for 850 yards and six touchdowns during 12 regular-season games. In the postseason, he was even more impressive, and moved up to second-most receiving yards and receptions in postseason history.
