Julian Edelman

Julian Francis Edelman (born May 22, 1986) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons with the New England Patriots. He played college football for the Kent State Golden Flashes as a quarterback and was selected in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL draft by the Patriots, where he became a return specialist and wide receiver. Edelman became a primary offensive starter in 2013 and was a staple of the Patriots' receiving corps until his retirement after the 2020 season.

One of the NFL's most productive postseason receivers, Edelman ranks third in postseason receiving yards and receptions and holds the Super Bowl records for punt returns and first-half receptions in a single game. A three-time Super Bowl winner, he was the receiving yards leader during his victories in Super Bowl XLIX and Super Bowl LIII. Edelman was named MVP of the latter, accounting for more than half his team's receiving yards.

Edelman was born in Redwood City, California, to Angela "Angie" (née Gole) and Frank Edelman, a mechanic who owns A-1 Auto Tech. He has two siblings, Jason and Nicole. Edelman was raised as a Christian but has experienced what he described as a "Jewish awakening." In an NFL Network interview in December 2013, Edelman said that he was Jewish and celebrated Hanukkah. His mother was born in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, to German parents who had lived in Belgium.