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The New England Patriots have two new members to their Hall of Fame. Bill Parcells and Julian Edelman received induction Sunday into New England's Hall of Fame.

 Edelman won the fan vote out of five finalists and owner Robert Kraft brought Parcells in as well, saying he wanted to see the coach enshrined while they were both alive.

Edelman received messages from some of his former teammates, including fellow Patriots Hall of Famer Tom Brady.

"There's nobody who is more deserving and who embodies what it means to be a Patriot more than you," Brady said of the three-time Super Bowl champion. "The toughness, the competitiveness, the relentless drive you brought every day to work. Everybody saw the catches on Sundays, but what I got to see were all the hours that nobody else did. All the late nights. The film sessions."

Edelman was a seventh-round pick out of Kent State in 2009 and switched from quarterback to receiver when he got to the NFL. He wasn't the obvious pick to be the team's star from the beginning, but built his way all the way up to Super Bowl MVP. 

"For years I would drive up to this stadium praying it wouldn't be my last," he said. "There was so much uncertainty that comes with a late-round pick chasing his dream to play in this league. I'm so glad this place became my home. To stand here now, knowing I'm forever part of this organization's history, is the ultimate honor."

Edelman was Brady's right-hand man for years, forming a documented friendship off the field that translated to iconic moments on the field, including that improbable catch in Super Bowl LI during their comeback against the Atlanta Falcons. 

"You weren't the biggest. You weren't the fastest. But nobody was tougher, nobody was more dependable and nobody came through in the clutch when it mattered the most more than you," Brady said. "Some of my favorite memories on the field was throwing the ball to you, Jules, in the biggest games with everything on the line."

In his 11 year career, 10 years of play after missing one season due to an injury, he had 620 receptions for 6,822 yards and 36 touchdowns. His impact was felt all year, but never more than in the postseason. Edelman ranks third in postseason receptions (118) and receiving yards (1,442) in NFL history. He averaged 75.9 yards per game in the playoffs.

Parcells' time with the Patriots was multi-layered, with a soured ending between him and Kraft before the coach went to the rival New York Jets.

"Over the years, we've both mellowed," Kraft said while introducing Parcells. "We've shared laughs, swapped stories and reflected on the foundation we built together. I want to say, 'Thank you, Bill. Thank you for the fire. Thank you for the fight. Thank you for the foundation. And thank you for the many contributions you made to this franchise.'"

Parcells also commented on the way things ended, saying, "We sometimes reflect on things, and you wish you would have done things a little differently. I come back here and I see this, I wish I would have done things a little differently."

The storied coach helped lead the team to Super Bowl XXXI, a loss to the Green Bay Packers. He coached the team from 1993 to 1996. The 84-year-old is also in the New York Giants Ring of Honor.

To be inducted in the Patriots Hall of Fame, a player or needs to be four years removed from being in the league. New England only made an exception for Brady, whom the Patriots inducted shortly after his retirement.