Julian Edelman will be back at Lincoln Financial Field following the New England Patriots’ bye week.
And that takes the 33-year-old wideout more than a decade back.
“I love ol’ Lincoln Financial,” Edelman said Wednesday on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show. “That’s the first stadium I ever got to play in in the National Football League as a Patriot back on August 19, 2009.”
Edelman was close on the date. It was six days prior for the seventh-round convert by way of Kent State and the College of San Mateo.
That Thursday night preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles saw Edelman return a Sav Rocca punt 75 yards for a touchdown. It also saw him catch five passes for 37 yards from quarterbacks Tom Brady and Andrew Walter.
Edelman tackled the Eagles’ Jeremy Maclin while in for kickoff coverage, as well, and handled a kickoff of his own for a gain of 24 yards.
“I love going to Philly,” added Edelman. “I mean, of course their fans are very passionate. It’s a sports town. And I’m kind of a fan of fans, like when you play other teams’ fans – Bills Mafia, Philly fans, Chicago. I like playing against very passionate fan groups. It makes the game more fun. It makes the game what you remember when you were a kid, when you were rooting for your team.”
New England’s starting wide receivers in the 27-25 exhibition victory were Randy Moss and Joey Galloway. Reeling in pair of touchdowns would be tight end Chris Baker. And on the defensive side, current Patriots inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo led the way in tackles.
It’s been every bit of 10 years.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick turned to Wes Welker on the sideline and asked, “You ever hear of Wally Pipp?”
Edelman is currently on pace for a career-high 112 receptions, 1,178 yards and seven touchdowns. He has appeared in one regular-season game at Lincoln Financial Field.
His second will arrive when the Patriots head there for a 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff in Week 11.
“They’re certainly up there with a crazy group of people that love their football,” Edelman said of Eagles fans. “That easily is the formula for a good football city.”