Julian Edelman & Drew Pearson: Twinning

Chris Dailey

Founder, The Sports Court

Drew Pearson and Julian Edelman were both collegiate QB’s turned wide-receivers.

On top of this, Pearson and Edelman were both seen as afterthoughts coming into the NFL, only there to fill up space. Pearson went undrafted and Edelman was a late 7th rounder. 

However, the two combined for 4 Super Bowls, 14,704 yards, and two of the greatest catches in NFL History.

The two-star receivers have a lot in common, to the point where it looks as if Pearson and Edelman are twinning.

Pearson came into the Cowboys camp during his rookie year as an undrafted receiver with nothing to lose and everything to gain. Coming into camp, Pearson knew he had to be on his A-game. 

“Things were a lot different back then. I was one of 80 some free agents along with the 17 draft picks they had that year. We had a full two weeks in Thousand Oaks with Coach Landry and he just tried to kill us. He was trying to get people to quit and he got half of them by the end of that first week. He wanted to see who was tough enough and could improve once the veterans got there,” said Pearson at the NFL Hall of Fame media day.

Meanwhile, Edelman came into his rookie camp as a 5’10, 196-pound seventh-round pick with one thing, a chip on his shoulder.

However, things were rough for the kid for the undersized late rounder. Edelman’s first training camp saw fans boo him off the field after a poor performance fielding punts (for the first time in his career).

As time progressed, Edelman got better and just good enough to make a spot on the Patriots 53 man roster; the rest is history.

3 Super Bowls, 1 Super Bowl MVP, one of the most clutch catches in NFL history later, Julian Edelman decided it was time to hang up his boots.

Pearson helped pave the way from college QB’s to transition to the WR position, Julian Edelman followed in Pearson’s path. Both carved out largely successful careers.

Despite there being a lot of talk about whether Pearson should be inducted into the Hall of Fame, the kid from South River, New Jersey, waited it out and at 70 years old, 38 long years since retiring from the NFL, Pearson was inducted into the 2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

His ‘twin’, Julian Edelman, is now in a similar situation. Many NFL fans are debating whether the Prince of Foxboro is worthy of a spot in Canton.

Edelman - who wasn’t a ‘star’ wide receiver during the regular season always appeared and made plays when it mattered the most. Tom Brady’s right-hand man had the second-most receptions, receiving yards, and 100-yard games in playoff history. The undersized wideout who got booed off the field after his first day on training camp also has the 4th most receiving yards and 5th most receptions in Super Bowl history.

Judging by the ways things have gone with Pearson, Edelman may have to wait 38 years, but it’s all worth it in the end as Pearson stated in his press conference.