“I kind of did anything for him,” Julian Edelman said back in 2015. “If he needed something, I’ll go get ’em.” That loyalty to Tom Brady never faded. Even years after their last game together, Edelman still talks about the quarterback with awe. His respect for Brady ran deep, and at the Patriots Hall of Fame ceremony, the 39-year-old revealed the very first message they exchanged as teammates.

Edelman got Foxborough buzzing as he shared how he first met Brady. ”One of the first things Tom Brady ever said to me — I think we had just gotten out of our first practice. I’d been watching him throw and thinking, ‘Man, you work so hard,’” the ex-Patriots wide receiver said.

Then came the moment that stuck with him forever. “He (Brady) looked at me with those blue eyes and that jawline and goes, ‘Babe. If all you ever do is all you ever done, then all you ever get is all you ever got.’ He then winked at me and left.’’

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Julian Edelman came in as a seventh-round pick and college quarterback, working hard to become a wide receiver. He constantly asked equipment staff and teammates to help him with hand-eye drills.

Veteran center David Andrews once joked, “I think (Edelman) had to pay for like nine Tommy John surgeries for all the equipment managers’ elbows he (hurt) making them throw to him.”

Early on, he was barely noticed in the Patriots’ playbook, but his relentless effort matched Brady’s high standards, and the rest is history.

Together, Brady and Edelman helped lead the Patriots to three Super Bowl titles, forming one of the NFL’s most clutch quarterback-receiver duos, a partnership that spanned 127 games and defined a dynasty.

Edelman played 11 seasons with the Patriots. He caught 620 passes for 6,822 yards and 36 touchdowns. He won three Super Bowls with Brady. His peak came in Super Bowl LIII, 10 catches, 141 yards, and the MVP in a 13-3 win over the Rams.

Off the field, their bond was just as strong. Edelman often called Brady one of his closest friends. He praised Brady’s toughness, especially how he played through injuries without complaint.

The veteran quarterback built his legacy through discipline and drive. In 285 games for New England, he threw for 74,571 yards, 541 touchdowns, and 179 interceptions. His passer rating was 97.0. Those numbers helped build a dynasty.

Now that he is in the Patriots Hall of Fame, Edelman got a special message from his close friend and longtime quarterback.

Tom Brady on Edelman

“Julian, congratulations on being inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame,” Tom Brady said in a video tribute. “Such a well-deserved honor, and honestly, there’s nobody who is more deserving and embodies what it means to be a Patriot more than you.”

That message came from the quarterback Edelman once idolized, and later became inseparable from. What started as a rookie starstruck by Brady turned into a Hall of Fame career.

Edelman joined the Patriots in 2009. He barely made the roster, unsure of his role or future. But by 2013, he broke out with 105 receptions and became Brady’s most trusted target in clutch moments.

According to Elias Sports Bureau, no quarterback-receiver duo in NFL history has more postseason receptions (115) or receiving yards (1,412) than Brady and Edelman.

Edelman often credited Brady for pushing him to a higher standard, calling his work ethic a model to follow. Their bond extended beyond the field, built on mutual respect, shared battles, and a relentless pursuit of greatness.

Now, Edelman stands enshrined in the Patriots Hall of Fame, a red jacket marking the journey from longshot to legend.