As Bill Belichick finds himself at the center of a media firestorm as the result of his relationship with Jordon Hudson, two of his former star players are coming to his defense.
In a clip from their Dudes on Dudes podcast, Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman addressed Belichick’s viral interview with CBS Sunday Morning. Yet despite the backlash that Hudson has faced for interrupting the interview the shut down a question about how she and the North Carolina head coach met, the ex-New England Patriots pass-catchers believe that the entire controversy has been much ado about nothing.
“Coach Belichick and this whole interview thing with Jordon, people are giving an unfair reality of what’s going on,” Edelman said. “Because she was jumping into that conversation during the interview, just like any P.R. person would jump in when there’s an unnecessary question that they probably didn’t go over in the pre-production meeting.”
The Super Bowl LIII MVP went on to explain what he’s learned about the professional aspect of Belichick’s relationship with Jordon Hudson.
“From what I’ve heard, Jordon is playing the ‘Bear’s’ role handling all the football ops, handling a lot of his social, a lot of his P.R,” Edelman said. “When you look at this situation and you say, ‘oh, this is his girlfriend jumping in.’ I think that’s unfair. I think she’s actually working with Coach Belichick in the professional world, and she probably went and said, ‘hey, no, we’re not doing that.’ Doesn’t that always happen whenever you do an interview? Do you not have a representative there?”
Gronkowski concurred, before somehow connecting the entire situation to UNC’s most famous alum.
“Yeah, she’s becoming his representative on top of being a girlfriend,” the four-time All-Pro tight end said. “No one’s really put this hand in hand together: When your name is Jordon (Jordan) and you’re on the University of North Carolina Tar Heels campus, you’re God.”
“Never thought about it!” Edelman exclaimed. “They’re winning the natty this year potentially. I got them in the bowl.”
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While Edelman’s comments might have been news at the time, Bill Belichick has since confirmed that he and Hudson have a professional relationship, in addition to their personal one. In a statement released on Wednesday, the 73-year-old head coach defended his 24-year-old girlfriend’s actions during the CBS interview, stating that she was merely “doing her job to ensure the interview remained on track.”
Still, plenty of questions remain, including the extent of Hudson’s involvement in the North Carolina program and her qualifications for such a role. To that end, it’s worth noting that Belichick’s daughter-in-law and the wife of Tar Heels defensive coordinator Steve Belichick reportedly commented on Edelman and Gronkowski’s post, criticizing Hudson’s professionalism (or lack thereof) in handling the high profile interview.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.