Bill Parcells, Julian Edelman inducted into Patriots Hall of Fame during Saturday ceremony
NFL Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells and three-time Super Bowl champion Julian Edelman were inducted into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame Saturday during a well-attended ceremony outside of Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts.
For anyone who missed the ceremony, it will air in its entirety at Saturday at 8 p.m. on WSBK-TV in the Boston area and will stream at the same time on CBS News Boston.
Members of the Patriots Hall of Fame Raymond Clayborn, Ty Law, Willie McGinest, Dante Scarnecchia, Andre Tippet, and Mike Vrabel, who is now back with the franchise as head coach, were among those in attendance.
A large number of former Patriots players were also there for the ceremony. That included Matthew Slater, Danny Amendola, Devin McCourty, Scott Zolak, Jermaine Wiggins, David Andrews and more.
Julian Edelman was "chaos in cleats"
Patriots president Jonathan Kraft introduced Edelman, noting that he went from draft afterthought to Super Bowl MVP.
Edelman rose from seventh round draft pick out of Kent State, where he played quarterback, to one of the best pass catchers in franchise history.
"Julian didn't just defy the expectations. He obliterated them," Jonathan Kraft said. "Julian, you weren't just clutch, you were chaos in cleats," the Patriots president said, giving credit to that line to New England public relations veteran Stacey James.
Edelman recalled being drafted, knowing nothing about where he would come to call home.
"I literally had to Google where Foxboro was," Edelman said. "But the one thing I did know, was that I had been given an opportunity."
Bill Belichick praised during speech
Relations have been frosty between Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots organization following his departure.
Belichick was not in attendance Saturday as his UNC Tar Heels played. But Edelman made sure to thank the coach who drafted him.
"We'll start at the top. Coach Belichick," Edelman said. "He's one of the greatest coaches that I've ever had. I lived in constant fear of coach, and still kind of do. But I can't thank him enough for giving me an opportunity. Your coaching was tough, it was hard, it was honest. And sometimes we didn't understand why we were doing what we were doing. But it always seemed to pay off."
Edelman also spoke about how much it meant to play alongside Tom Brady.
"I was lucky to be drafted here, because I got to be around a guy like him who was a role model in this league, a guy who taught me what it was like to be a professional," Edelman said. "The standard you set Tom, your drive, your dedication, your example drove us all to be better. And he was the same guy every day."
Brady and Rob Gronkowski both sent video messages congratulating Edelman on his induction.
Bill Parcells inducted in Patriots Hall of Fame
Earlier, Patriots owner Robert Kraft took the stage to heap praise on Parcells, describing him as the man "who helped lay the very foundation for what the New England Patriots would be come."
Kraft said Parcells provided "identity, structure, and hope" to a struggling franchise. Kraft said the wins the team started to earn on the field when Parcells took over convinced him not to move the team out of New England.
"Bill made the players believe, he made the fans believe, and he made me believe. Bill built a culture. He mentored players and coaches who would go on to shape the NFL. He laid the groundwork for the dynasty that followed," Kraft said.
After receiving his red Patriots Hall of Fame jacket, Parcells said that it was a "melancholy" day for him, because he was returning to the place he started his professional coaching career.
"I've got to tell you I couldn't have come to a better place," Parcells said. "This place has a place in my heart. It always will. 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 had done things a little differently."
In 1980, Parcells was a linebackers coach with the Patriots. Three years later, he took over as New York Giants head coach and went on to win two Super Bowls.
Patriots Hall of Fame ceremony
During the NFL Annual Meetings in April, Patriots owner Robert Kraft announced that Parcells would be inducted in an expedited fashion after he was previously nominated in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2020, and 2023 but did not win the vote.
"I called Bill Parcells and asked him if he would be kind enough to accept going into our Patriots Hall of Fame. He had been a finalist for five years," Kraft said. "I thought it would be great, given what he's done for the team if he would accept entry as a contributor to the Patriots Hall of Fame, and he accepted."
Then in May, the Patriots announced the results of their regular Hall of Fame voting. Edelman was chosen to become the 37th player inducted. He was selected ahead of kicker Adam Vinatieri and offensive lineman Logan Mankins.
The ceremony started at 4 p.m. Saturday on the Patriot Place Plaza. That is located in the shadows of the new Gillette Stadium lighthouse, just outside of the Patriots Hall of Fame.
Fans were able to attend the ceremony, which was free.
Julian Edelman's career
Edelman ranks second in New England history with 620 receptions. He is also fourth with 6,822 receiving yards and ninth with 36 receiving touchdowns.
One of Tom Brady's most trusted targets, Edelman was at his best in the postseason. Edelman won three Super Bowls with the Patriots and racked up 118 catches, 1,442 yards and caught five touchdowns in the playoffs. He was Super Bowl LIII MVP thanks to 10 receptions for 141 yards as the Patriots beat the Rams, 13-3.
Edelman's yardage total is good for third in NFL playoff history behind Jerry Rice and Travis Kelce.
Bill Parcells with the Patriots
Though Parcells was only with the Patriots for four seasons, he helped the once-struggling franchise gain credibility in the years before Brady and Bill Belichick arrived.
Parcells was hired as head coach in 1993 by then Patriots owner James Orthwein. He took over a New England team that went 2-14 the previous season. During his first year, the Patriots improved to 5-11 with rookie quarterback Drew Bledsoe, who was the top pick in the NFL Draft.
That continued in 1994, the year Kraft bought the team, as the Patriots went 10-6 and clinched their first playoff berth in eight years. Parcells was named NFL Coach of the Year but the Patriots lost to Belichick's Cleveland Browns in the playoffs.
After a disappointing 1995 season, Parcells and the Patriots bounced back in 1996. They went 11-6, won the AFC East, and made the franchise's second ever trip to the Super Bowl. The Patriots lost to the Green Bay Packers, 35-21, in Super Bowl XXXI, and Parcells left to take the head coaching job with the rival New York Jets.