"It hurts": Patriots legend Julian Edelman's father highlights challenging side of being parent of an NFL star
Patriots legend Julian Edelman's father, Frank, shed some light on the challenges of being an NFL star's parent. He was making a star appearance on the latest episode of the Games With Names podcast.
It's obvious that NFL players receive backlash over certain actions on or off the field. However, the last thing anyone talks about is its effect on the player's parents.
Frank Edelman expressed how it hurts him every time the media and fans criticize Julian for losing a game or making mistakes on-field.
"You obviously always want to win… but when it’s your own child and the media and everybody’s watching and they start criticizing your child or if your child gets nicked up or if your child fails or makes a mistake, it hurts," Julian Edelman's father said. (0:57)."
As Julian Edelman spent more time in the league and got listed among the elite players, alongside Tom Brady, things started to change greatly at home. In fact, it's the expected criticism that forced Frank to stop inviting friends and relatives to the house.
"I mean there was times in Julian's career where his mother and his sister would shut the drapes on game day and we wouldn't let anybody over because it first started out as a party," Frank expressed. (1:12).
"Everybody was coming over and you’re having a good time… and then you know once Jules would get dinged up, it’s like okay you guys all got to go out, go, see you later, bye," Frank added.
The moment when Julian Edelman's father knew every NFL parent goes through the same struggle
In the podcast, Frank talked about the experience of his first Patriots game with wife Angie, when he realized the struggles of every NFL player's family.
Frank Edelman said that he was made to sit separately in the parents' section, away from Julian's mother, just to find out everyone was seated the same way.
"They put us in where the parent section is and I was with my oldest son Jason and Mom… We thought we were weird cuz me and my wife would not sit together, she’d sit over there cuz we’d just fight and so when we got in the stands, everybody was the same as every parent,” Julian’s father said.
It's important to acknowledge the hardships that parents of NFL players go through to help their sons make a big name for themselves. Julian Edelman's father is a perfect example.