New England Patriots Julian Edelman receives degree from Kent State to set an example for his daughter

After receiving his Bachelor of Integrative Studies degree Saturday morning, New England Patriots wide receiver, Super Bowl MVP and former Kent State quarterback Julian Edelman high-fived the Class of 2019 as he ran to his mother, Angie, and gave her a kiss.

Edelman received his degree 10 years after leaving the Golden Flashes to join the Patriots as the 232nd overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. At the time he left Kent State, he was majoring in business management. He was one of over 5,300 Kent State students earning degrees this weekend.

“I’m proud to come back to Kent State and fulfill what I started and what I set out to do,” Edelman, 32, said in an interview with the university before graduating.

Edelman was the first to receive his degree at Dix Stadium, and the crowd shouted “MVP” as he posed for photos with outgoing president and keynote speaker Beverly Warren.

He announced his intention to attend the graduation ceremony via Twitter on Friday, writing, “I want to set a great example for my daughter, and complete a promise I made to my parents over 10 years ago,” before congratulating his fellow graduates.

A native of Redwood City, California, Edelman played quarterback for one season at the College of San Mateo before transferring to Kent State in 2006.

“I’ve always been proud and excited to tell people where I come from. It’s that underdog way. It’s the No. 2 biggest school in Ohio with the best tap water. That’s what they told me on my recruiting trip and what’s what got me. I said I want the best tap water,” he joked.

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Edelman starred at quarterback for the Golden Flashes from 2006-08, throwing for 4,997 yards and 30 touchdowns while rushing for 2,483 yards and 22 scores. He said one of his favorite memories from his time at Kent State was beating Miami, the first Kent State team to do so on the road since the 1970s.

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“Those are the things you remember: those good times where you get to experience that team unity and that purpose. To go out with your team and compete and come out on top,” he said.

In February, he caught 10 passes for 141 yards in New England’s 13-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII, earning him MVP and his third Super Bowl ring with the Patriots.

Edelman said that finally earning his degree ranks among those highest accomplishments, in large part because of what it means to his family.

“My mom and dad always pushed me and led by example. My parents may not have gone to college, but they showed me through actions what you have to do to be successful in this world, whether it’s being disciplined, keeping your routine and sacrificing. All those things I want to practice what I preach with my little girl. Hopefully she can remember this going forward, but it’ll be a good memory for her to see that whatever you start you have to finish,” he said.

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Kent State class of 2019... we did it! #13YearSenior

A post shared by Julian Edelman (@edelman11) onMay 11, 2019 at 9:12am PDT

He added that he has taken lessons from Kent State with him into his professional career and challenged his fans to push through adversity to reach their own goals.

“All these years I would go into my receiver room, and my coach at the time, coach [Chad] O’Shea, would heckle me and have the guys stand up that had a college degree. I couldn’t do that and now I can,” he said. “Education is a huge part of this world to show that you can commit to something and go out and get it. Now I can be a part of that.”

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I believe it is important to finish what you start. This Saturday, I will be walking with my fellow Kent State graduates. Completing what I started back in 06. It is important to me that I make my parents proud as I fulfill a promise that I made to them that I would, one day, be a college graduate. I also want to set a great example for my daughter, so that when I talk about the importance of a college degree, I can show her that earning my degree was important to me. To my fellow Golden Flash graduates, Congratulations! #LetsGo⚡️⚡️⚡️

A post shared by Julian Edelman (@edelman11) onMay 9, 2019 at 3:28pm PDT

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Krista S. Kano can be reached at 330-541-9416, kkano@recordpub.com or on Twitter @KristaKanoRCedu.