NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- A torn ACL, a four-game suspension, and a Super Bowl MVP.
The last two years for Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman have been a whirlwind, but lucky for the fans, the cameras were rolling.
"100%: Julian Edelman" is set to make its debut on Showtime June 28th, but Edelman says it's not just for fans. He hopes it inspires anyone who has fallen on tough times.
"I don't think, after making this with my team, that it's just a sports doc," Edelman told 1010 WINS' Sweetina Kakar.
"We think more of putting it in the category of a life doc. About problem solving, and about overcoming adversity, and about struggling and having to dig your way out of a hole."
Edelman began digging out of that hole on August 25, 2017. On his third catch in a pre-season game against the Detroit Lions, he took a pass from Tom Brady up the field until he cut sharply and fell to the ground. Clutching his knee, he signaled to the training staff and left the field. Edelman was done for the year with a torn ACL.
The documentary picks up from there, following the Patriots wide receiver though rehab, family ups and downs, and a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances. With Edelman facing an uncertain future, he was wary of making his private life public.
"I was a little nervous with the whole thing and didn't know if I really wanted to go through with it," Edelman told WINS. "After it was all said and done and forming it and seeing the story, it was something that was pretty cool to share."
The doc invites people into the Edelman home where we meet his parents and siblings. His father Frank, who coached Julian as a kid, shares some similarities with Julian's current coach, Bill Belichick.
"They're both very detail oriented, fundamental type guys," Edelman says. "I think my dad likes to call himself baby Belichick."
In the midst of rehabbing at home with his family, Edelman was busted for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances, delaying his return to the field even further. He finally made it back to the gridiron on October 4th against the Indianapolis Colts. The team was 2-2 at that point, but went on to finish the season 11-5, eventually earning a trip to the Super Bowl.
The Pats would claim that win as well, with Edelman named the MVP. He hauled in 10 passes for 141 yards.
A torn ACL, a four game suspension, and a Super Bowl MVP.
Edelman had come full circle by this point, reclaiming his spot as one of the best receivers in the league, while also capturing his third Super Bowl ring.
His parting words before he left WINS? "Tough times don't last, tough people do."
Fitting words for one of the toughest players in the NFL.
"100% Julian Edelman" airs June 28th on Showtime.
