Bill O'Brien evokes former Patriots WR Julian Edelman when discussing the importance of Boston College's Pro Day
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass – For Julian Edelman, it all came down to his Pro Day in 2009. The Kent State quarterback was not invited to the NFL Combine that year, but many scouts and coaches made the trip to see him before the NFL Combine. And that included Bill O'Brien, who was in his first stint with […]
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass – For Julian Edelman, it all came down to his Pro Day in 2009.
The Kent State quarterback was not invited to the NFL Combine that year, but many scouts and coaches made the trip to see him before the NFL Combine. And that included Bill O'Brien, who was in his first stint with the New England Patriots.
So, O'Brien knows better than anybody that a Pro Day can change everything. And that's exactly the message he wanted to convey to reporters on Monday at Boston College's Pro Day.
"Especially when I was working for Bill my first stint, I remember going out and working out receivers. And the most famous story for me was Julian Edelman," the Eagles head coach recalled. "We all, everybody went out there and worked him out. And Bill would tell us, 'he's not a quarterback, so don't tell me he's a quarterback. Now, don't tell Julian that. But, he's something.'"
The Patriots saw potential in Edelman, and announced shortly after they selected him with the 232nd overall (seventh round) in the 2009 NFL Draft, that he would be a wide receiver.
"And obviously, he turned into, in my opinion, a Hall of Fame player," O'Brien continued. "So yeah, there's several examples.
"It takes a while to really understand what the player is all about. You can see him on film and watch him do what that coaching staff had him do, but you go work him out and figure out what he can do well for us and get to know him to see if he's the type of guy you want in your program."
From a Kent State quarterback to a star wide receiver who was a three-time Super Bowl champion and even a Super Bowl MVP.
That just proves that one good workout can change everything for a player. And that's why these Pro Days are so vital.
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