Unsurprisingly, Julian Edelman Had A Lot To Say About Tom Brady After QB's Retirement

By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston

BOSTON (CBS) -- Tom Brady threw passes to a lot of players over the years. But his connection with Julian Edelman was unlike any other.

Both natives of the Bay Area, both late-round draft picks who weren't expected to have big NFL careers, the two forged a dynamic bond that helped deliver three Super Bowl banners to New England during their 10 seasons together with the Patriots.

It was no surprise, then, that Edelman had quite a bit to say about Brady on "Inside The NFL" this week, after the quarterback officially announced his retirement.

All of it, of course, was love.

"It is [bigger than football]. He's definitely not just a teammate. He's a brother," Edelman said. "I mean he single-handedly helped me, just by letting me be around him in the offseason, develop my game and see what it took to become a professional on and off the field. I didn't always do my best. But it was always great to have that example. And I love the guy."

Edelman was asked why it is that Brady is considered the greatest football player of all time.

"It's the same thing you think of when you think of Michael Jordan. It's that killer instinct. It's that addiction to competition. It's that addiction to literally trying to attain perfection, which -- a lot of guys talk about it. A lot of guys do it for a little bit of time of the year. This man does it 24/7," Edelman answered. "He has his family time, but this guy is thinking, eating, drinking, breathing, spitting competition. 'How do I make myself better? How do I improve my body?' Whatever you're doing with him, he's competing."

While Brady is, obviously, the GOAT, Edelman carved out a spectacular career of his own. He caught 620 passes for 6,822 yards and 36 touchdowns in 137 regular-season games, while also rushing 58 times for 413 yards and returning 177 punts with an 11.2-yard average and four returned for touchdowns. In the playoffs, he caught 118 passes for 1,442 yards and five touchdowns, ranking second all time behind only Jerry Rice in the first two categories, while also winning a Super Bowl MVP Award and making arguably the most memorable catch in Super Bowl history. The college quarterback also got to use his arm a bit, going 7-for-8 for 178 yards and two touchdowns as a passer in the regular season and postseason, famously launching a touchdown to Danny Amendola in the 2014 postseason. (One of those completions went to Brady, too.)

Edelman shared how he grew up in California pretending to be Tom Brady while playing football on asphalt parking lots, only to grow up to win Super Bowls with the QB. But Edelman said it was the work and dedication in the offseason that helped lead to all of that on-field success.

"I mean, he means everything to me. He's a huge part of my career," Edelman said. "In 2010, I moved out to Los Angeles because I heard he used to throw with players. That year he called me once, and I left everything and I went to it. The next year he called me a couple more times. And I just wanted to be around him just to see what it took. And that's the time I realized this man was built differently. It's because we're in February, we're running 60 routes a day, then he's over here getting his body work, and that's when I learned the aura of why this man is so special, so great. He never took a day off. He always had a purpose. Any time -- February, March, April, when we weren't with the team -- he had a purpose any time he went on to the practice field to go and accomplish something. And I took that and I tried to apply that to my career, and it helped me, and it helps a lot of younger players when they get to see an ultimate professional. Not just an ultimate football [player]. This guy's an ultimate professional."

While the end of Brady's career was emotional for a lot of people, Edelman felt it personally. That being said, he made sure not to get too emotional on the show.

"It's a sad day for football. I don't need a tissue," Edelman said. "I'm only gonna shed three tears ... for the three Super Bowls that we won together."

In:
• NFL
• Julian Edelman
• Tom Brady