Having played the game, and been a coach, Frank Edelman understands the inherent dangers associated with football. It’s a violent sport. That’s the nature of the beast.

He also knows the nature of its players, and the competitiveness of his son, Julian Edelman.

That’s why a certain third-down play in the fourth quarter of the Patriots’ 28-24 heart-stopping victory over the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX gave reason for pause.

It was third-and-14 with the championship on the line. Tom Brady fired over the middle, and the ball was caught by Edelman, the Patriots’ leading receiver, who was immediately hit head-on by Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor.

Edelman’s dad, who was in attendance at University of Phoenix Stadium, knew his son had to absorb the devastating blow in order to make the play and gain the crucial first down. He knew his son wasn’t going to back down.

And Julian didn’t.

Frank Edelman was thrilled and terrified all at the same time. That’s how it is when you are a father of a football player, and your son has already missed a few games during the season with a concussion. That’s how it is when documents presented in federal court suggest nearly one-third of retired players will develop brain trauma after their careers are over.

With all that as a backdrop, the elder Edelman was concerned about the possible damage that hit might inflict on his son. His fears were alleviated after learning Julian had not been diagnosed with a concussion on the play, but he still worried just the same.

“I worry every second of the day, every second of every day,” Frank Edelman told the Herald in a phone interview Thursday. “Being a parent of a football player — I don’t know what it’s like to be the parent of a big lineman — but there’s one thing we all have in common. We’re all frightened to death.

“There’s obviously so much joy and excitement and pride. That just comes with the territory. But there’s a dark side to it. And the dark side is the injuries, and when is it going to be taken away? Hopefully, your son can leave the game because he wants to, not because he has to, which is uncommon. Normally, you lose to the game.”

Frank Edelman who owns an auto repair business in Mountain View, Calif., frets over every injury his son suffers, but naturally, the head injuries are most troubling. His son is more susceptible to those issues thanks to the hits he takes cutting across the middle of the field.

“That (third-down) play is no man’s land in the NFL. When they’re setting up that Cover-2, they’re letting you have that, if you have the guts to go there. And that’s what Seattle will give you, is that area,” Frank Edelman said. “It was 3rd-and-14. They knew Jules had to take it. They called a dig route, and he knew he had to go there, but you’re going to take a licking when you go there. And I knew it was coming. And sure enough, Chancellor lit him up.”

The one thing Edelman’s father noticed and helped ease his mind was that Julian had backed off just slightly, and didn’t take the full impact of the blow.

“I think he might have been a little woozy, but I don’t think he was concussed,” Edelman said of his son. “Look, these guys love it. They understand the risk. They sign the papers.”

Edelman helped coached his son at the Pee Wee and Pop Warner levels, and loves the game, too. He knows how much winning the Super Bowl meant to his son.

So he was glad Julian got the green light to continue playing last Sunday, after reportedly being checked for a concussion on the sideline and going on to catch what proved to be the game-winning touchdown.

There was some talk after the game that Edelman had, in fact, suffered a concussion after he appeared confused in his postgame press conference, referring to Seattle as St. Louis.

Frank Edelman said as far as he knew his son was fine, just a little dazed after that hit. Later in that drive, just before the winning score, Julian showed enough clarity and composure to tell everyone in the huddle that, win or lose, he loved them. That sound bite was captured by NFL Films microphones.

His father saw the replay of that vignette, and thought that was pretty cool.

“He’s played football his whole life. Football is the team-iest sport in all the sports. And by that, I mean you need all 11 guys to either be doing the right thing at the same time, or the wrong thing at the same time to create execution,” Edelman said. “And the thing about (Julian) is it took him awhile to figure out how to be a receiver, and how he can work within that system and flourish, and understand what his options are in that particular system. Knowing what everyone’s supposed to do, that teeny thing, Jules thrives on that. And he loves his lineman. They have to protect Tom. And he loves Danny (Amendola). He’s got to do his job. That’s the way his vision is. Everybody’s got to do their job. I know that’s so cliche and so Patriot-like, but it’s so true. But that’s where that comes from.”

The Patriots did roar back in record fashion from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter thanks in part to Edelman’s heroics. In between surviving the scary moment in the fourth quarter, he caught nine passes for 109 yards, including the game-winning touchdown.

“Winning the Super Bowl is so cool,” said Edelman’s dad, whose email inbox has exploded since the game ended. “It’s the most awesomest thing in the world.

A few other observations from Frank Edelman:

• On his reaction to Jerome Kearse’s circus catch: “We were all throwing up. Then Malcolm (Butler) made the interception. I was screaming like a little girl.”

• On Julian’s bushy beard: “I don’t know what’s going on with that. I haven’t asked him about it. I just know he likes it. It kind of has a life of its own.”

• On Julian’s TD pass to Amendola in the playoff win over the Ravens: “That play was awesome. But you say to yourself, ‘What took them so long to do it?’ They hid it for so long. I promise you, knowing my son, him and Danny were practicing that in the back yard.”

• On Julian standing atop the duck boat during the parade: “I was afraid he was going to fall. I was yelling, ‘Son, get off!’ But he was pumped up. I’ll tell you something, he loves Boston. He loves the people. He loves the enthusiasm and passion Boston brings. It’s a lot different than here.”’

Coach: Butler had knack

We had a chance to speak with Butler’s high school football coach Alfonzo Stevens on Friday.

Naturally, Stevens, who coached the Super Bowl hero at Vicksburg (Miss.) High, said Butler had a knack for making the big play even back then for the Gators.

Sitting with his wife amid lots of Seahawks fans at the local American Legion Hall for a Super Bowl party, Stevens predicted Butler would be a difference-maker well before he made the game-saving interception in Super Bowl XLIX.

“I was tooting his horn, saying what kind of kid he was. It was the first quarter, and I was telling them he was going to make a difference. The Seattle crowd didn’t even know who he was,” Stevens said of the largely pro-Seahawks crowd. “But I was saying if New England wants to win, they’ll put him in. So, lo and behold, in comes Malcolm, and the game starts to change. Then after the last play, I walked over to one table and said, ‘Do you still not know who Malcolm Butler is?’ So he made us pretty proud.”

Stevens said Butler remains in touch with him. During the year, he’d call all excited, just to say he intercepted Brady at practice.

“I’d say, ‘Great, but don’t do that too much, they might not keep you around,’ ” Stevens said with a laugh.

Butler played defensive back and flanker in high school. Stevens recalled a game against rival Canton in which they ran a reverse four times. Butler scored on three of them. And the fourth?

“We scored, but the reason he didn’t is we faked it to him, and the whole defense ran after him,” Stevens said with a laugh. “The other kid ran in no problem. But (Butler) always made the big play.”

Stevens recalled the struggles Butler endured, but ultimately persevered, making it through college at Division 2 West Alabama before getting his shot with the Patriots.

“He always had a lot of confidence in himself. He went through some things, but he got his life together,” Stevens said. “He always worked hard. He got the job at Popeye’s to keep himself going. He worked with the same smile, and the same attitude. He never gave up on his dream . . . he was going to make it.”

During the Patriots bye week, Stevens indicated Butler returned to Mississippi and spoke at his high school pep rally.

“He’s always giving back,” Stevens said. “He knows these kids in Vicksburg are great kids, but some of them make mistakes and he’s letting them know if you follow your dream, anything can happen.”

Vicksburg is having a parade in Butler’s honor Feb. 16. The cornerback, whose interception of Russell Wilson’s pass intended for Ricardo Lockette saved the day for the Patriots, is going to get the key to the city.

Stevens just hopes Butler remains humble, and is able to handle his newfound celebrity.

“I hope he can withstand this new notoriety that’s coming in, and hold onto his beliefs,” Stevens said. “It’s a great thing that he’s achieved. We just hope he can remain anchored in the ground, anchored in his faith.”

Patriot Way on display

NBC analyst and former Patriots offensive lineman Ross Tucker’s take on the ending of Super Bowl XLIX: “I’ll never get over what Malcolm Butler did. To have your fifth cornerback be that prepared for that situation, to me, is the real essence of the Patriot Way.

“It’s amazing.”