NFL fans may not know that former New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman once dated Jerry Rice's daughter, Jaqui.
She broke the story back in 2019 to TMZ, telling them that he took her to prom and that they dated when they were teenagers. There was even a story about Edelman wearing the Hall of Famer wide receiver's Super Bowl rings.
He recently confirmed the story on Jason and Travis Kelce's podcast "New Heights." Travis Kelce asked Edelman if it was a true story that he took Jaqui Rice to prom and tried on her father's Super Bowl rings.
"Did you actually take Jerry Rice's daughter to prom and did you try on a Super Bowl ring? Is that real?" Kelce asked.
Looking to predict NFL playoff Scenarios? Try our NFL Playoff Predictor for real-time simulations and stay ahead of the game!
"She took me to her prom. I did wear those Super Bowl rings I used to go into his office all the time, he was never home so I'd be over there playing with his balls, his Super Bowl balls. I saw jerseys, it was crazy. Jerry Rice bro, I was a Bay area kid he was a f***** legend," Julian Edelman replied.
Jaqui's younger sister Jada commented on a post with Julian Edelman's claim, saying he has told the story over ten times.
"He's heard the same story and the 10+ other times it was told." - @jadarice
Not only did the former New England Patriots wide receiver confirm the story, he also gave additional details. Edelman said that he went with Jaqui to her high school prom.
He said that he would sneak into Jerry Rice's office anytime he was at their home. The 3x Super Bowl champion added that the former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver wasn't there then.
Edelman said he would put on the Super Bowl rings, play with the Super Bowl footballs, and even look at Rice's jerseys. According to Jada's comment, Jerry Rice is now well aware of the antics.
Julian Edelman said that he could still play in NFL if not for the Patriots
In April 2021, wide receiver Julian Edelman announced his retirement from the National Football League. At the time, he said that his previous knee injury played a big role in his decision.
This week, Edelman told Jason and Travis Kelce on their "New Heights" podcast that the New England Patriots also played a role. He said that if he had played for any other team, he would likely still be in the NFL:
“I swear if I didn’t play in New England, I’d still be playing because we practiced so God damn hard. That’s honestly why I retired. I couldn’t practice. I was getting three reps a practice, and then I was getting into the pool because my knee, I was (expletive) up. And you build your confidence through practice. Practice repetition becomes game reality.”
Edelman said that the tough daily practices that the New England Patriots had began to be too much for his body. He said that he would take three reps a practice, then he would need to spend time rehabbing his knee to be ready to play.
Julian Edelman said that he decided to retire because he could no longer participate in those daily practices.
New England Patriots Nation! Check out the latest Patriots Schedule and dive into the New England Patriots Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.