Super Bowl 51: Kent State’s Julian Edelman Continues To Defy Expectations
Former Kent State quarterback Julian Edelman continues to exceed NFL expectations as the New Patriots WR made the greatest catch in Super Bowl history.
Kent State’s football program gets about as much attention as the baking soda in the back of your fridge. It’s there. It serves a purpose. No one really cares though.
Some NFL stars passed through town during the 2000s, such as Josh Cribbs, James Harrison and Julian Edelman. However, their presence couldn’t turn the Flashes into winners.
I’ve always followed Edelman’s career because I was a green-behind-the-ears grad student working for free–I mean interning–for Rivals.com during Edelman’s final year in a Flashes uniform.
Just like Kent State is every season, the Flashes were bad. Monday press conferences which included then coach Doug Martin and Edelman, most of the time, were 45-minute sessions of the press hearing about how the program was so close of being where it wanted to be–on the cusp competing of the Mid-American Conference’s Eastern Division.
Edelman’s Flashes were 4-8 overall and 3-6 in conference play.
While the Flashes were bad, Edelman was worth the price of admission, as I wrote then.
The JUCO transfer from California had talent. He was “a football player” as throwback fans and coaches like to say. No “analytics” were needed with Edelman. He made thing happen. If you had eyes, you knew the kid could play.
Now I’d like to sit here and write about how I foresaw his excellent NFL career because I absolutely did not.
His college coach threw him a bone in the final few weeks of that last season and let him return punts. This way, he’d have something on tape for NFL scouts to see.
If Edelman was going to have an NFL career, I figured it’d be as a special teamer. After all, around this time Josh Cribbs was in his hey day with the Browns.
Funning thinking back, but come on! Not one person covering the Flashes that season envisioned Edelman becoming Tom Brady‘s go-to receiver, and them making the greatest catch in Super Bowl history en route to his second ring…
Chill out, David Tyree fans. This catch is better.
I really became intrigued when Bill Belichik drafted Edelman in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft.. If anyone was going to turn him into a player, it’d be Bill.
And while Edelman still performs the job that got him a gig in the NFL as a punt returner, he’s amassed 425 receptions, 4,540 yards, 24 touchdowns and two Super Bowl championships along the way.
So, he never did get that MAC East title, but I guess he’s doing just fine…and now, like then, he’s still worth the price of admission.
Elsewhere in Cleveland/Browns ties to the Super Bowl…
All right Cleveland, admit it. You noticed yourself grinning when Alex Mack blew a block on Trey Flowers and Matt Ryan got blown up, pushing the Falcons out of field-goal position. Three points in that situation probably would’ve guaranteed Atlanta victory.
Sorry, but after hearing how great Mack is for two weeks, and how he and Kyle Shanahan are best friends forever, I got a little sick of Cleveland’s former center. He was a good character guy during his time in Cleveland, and Mack’s tough. He played the game on a on a cracked leg.
HUGE sack from former Razorback Trey Flowers! #WPS #SB51 #SuperBowl #Patriots pic.twitter.com/Au1Px0kn48
— Austin Kellerman (@AustinKellerman) February 6, 2017
However, I couldn’t help but take some joy in watching Mack screw up. While Mack happily left the Browns, the Browns hadn’t completely left him. Full blown, Browns, Alex.
Small of me? Absolutely. My team just went 1-15 though. Sorry, not sorry.
About Taylor Gabriel…
The Browns and Taylor Gabriel. Good grief. Did you see this?
Taylor Gabriel (@TGdadon1) with the ankle breaker on Patriots CB Malcolm Butler 😳😳 pic.twitter.com/3d1T8Y5Hi0
— GSN (@GASportsNow) February 6, 2017
I don’t know how to explain the Browns release of Gabriel other than Hue Jackson probably stuck with Andrew Hawkins, even though he’s older, because he had familiarity with him from his days in Cincinnati.
Gabriel had 3 catches for 76 yards. His star is brighter than ever.
The man Joe Banner liked–crazy to think Banner had a few good ideas–had 27 yards on six carries. Lewis suffered from a hamstring injury and Belichik turned to James White, who had three touchdowns (two on the ground, one by air).
Next: 4 Browns Who Should Be In The HOF
Super Bowl 52 is Feb. 4, 2018. The Patriots are the favorites, and Dallas isn’t far behind. Vegas probably doesn’t know this, but the Browns are going to shock the world next season. Lol. Get those Super Bowl tickets now, Cleveland!