BOUND FOR GREATNESS
Prep coaches saw tools for Edelman’s success
FOXBORO — Future greatness? With confidence, Darlene Nicolopulos felt she could forecast a promising football future for Julian Edelman as she watched him quarterback California’s Woodside High School to a perfect record (13-0) as a senior in 2004. The vantage point from which Nicolopulos saw Edelman carve up opposing defenses was from the stands while her husband Steve patrolled the sidelines as Woodside’s head coach.
“Within the game I saw his determination and his will, but I also saw some roadblocks,” said Steve Nicolopulos. “When I coached him, my wife would come to the games and say,
“‘Watch. He’s going to play at the next level. Probably the NFL.’ Sure enough … she must be a good scout. He was a playmaker in high school and that’s been the case ever since. He gets things done.”
Stories and anecdotes that pertain to Edelman making believers out of naysayers have been the hallmark of his football odyssey, particularly when the discussion centers around his time with the New England Patriots. Tonight, the long-awaited next chapter will finally start to be written when the Indianapolis Colts come to Gillette Stadium for a primetime kickoff (8:20).
Can Edelman at age 32 return to Pro Bowl form after not appearing in a competitive game in 18 months? One thing that Steve Nicolopulos learned a long time ago is that you never bet against Edelman from making an impact.
A lengthy layoff due to a torn ACL that sidelined Edelman for the entire 2017 season, coupled with a 2018 four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs, is merely fuel for Edelman in his bid to once again hush up the critics.
“Being the competitor that Julian is, there’s no doubt that he’s chomping at the bit to get back out there and do his part,” Nicolopulos said when reached from California on Wednesday. “Even dating back to high school, he didn’t want to lose at anything. That’s part of his work ethic and why he’s been as successful as he’s been. He competed at everything.”
Added Tim Faulkner, who coached Edelman in baseball during his senior year at Woodside High, “He was as competitive as could be and one of those kids who you just love coaching.”
Having football taken away from Edelman in the way it was represented a new set of challenges for one of Tom Brady’s primary targets.
First, there was the challenge of rehabbing a significant ligament tear in his knee. The second challenge occurred at the onset of this season when Edelman was forced to serve a penance that meant he had to stay away from the Patriots.
While Nicolopulos doesn’t have working knowledge of Edelman’s situation, the coach did note that his former player’s zest for competition didn’t go on sabbatical in light of missing the past 20 regular-season games..
“He wants to be out there and contribute to his team,” Nicolopulos said. “He really does care about the organization and the Kraft family. It’s important to him that he presents himself in the right manner for the Patriots as well as himself and his family.
“I’m sure he spent the time studying, working out, and preparing himself just like he did during the offseason. Lots of hard work and dedication,” said Nicolopulos when asked to envision how Edelman utilized his free time during the first month of the 2018 season. “I don’t know what the issue was, but I know Julian. He wouldn’t do something to jeopardize his career or the organization.”
Is it realistic to think that Edelman after a mandated absence from football activities will hit the ground running starting with Thursday’s game against Indianapolis?
“He got reps during training camp,” Nicolopulos noted. “When you’re an athlete, you train year round. I’m sure you don’t lose too much. He’s worked with the same guys he’s worked with his entire career. I don’t think he’ll lose too much of a step.”
Suspensions and season-ending injuries aside, Edelman’s cheering section at his high school is chomping at the bit to see him take his finger off the pause button and log meaningful reps for the first time since the Patriots’ comeback against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI.
“I texted him the same message after the two Super Bowls he’s won. Big players make bigtime plays in bigtime games. That’s the kind of kid he is,” Nicolopulos said. “It’s going to be good for him, good for his family, and good for New England.”
“I’m super excited to finally watch him play this year,” Faulkner said. “He’ll be ready to go, there’s no doubt.”