Playing against the 49ers will always be special for Julian Edelman.
The Redwood, Calif., native was a big 49ers fan growing up and even named his dogs “Dwight” and “Montana” after 49ers legends Dwight Clark and Joe Montana.
Edelman also looked up to Jerry Rice, the 49ers receiver who won three Super Bowls in San Francisco and is heralded by many as the greatest receiver of all time. He cited Rice as a “huge inspiration,” adding that he used to train at Jerry Rice Hill.
“It was a folklore,” Edelman told reporters Friday. “It was known that Jerry Rice used to go out and run that hill and everyone knew about his work ethic — him going out and catching bricks, outworking people and never taking time off and really taking his craft seriously.