Philadelphia Eagles were stepping stone for New England Patriots' Danny Amendola

New England receiver Danny Amendola is a critical part of his team's offense, as he demonstrated while catching the game-winning touchdown pass in the Patriots' 24-20 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Sunday's AFC Championship Game.

However, he had to struggle to become an established pro after going undrafted out of Texas Tech in 2008. His rise to stardom began with his association with the team he will try to beat in the Super Bowl on Feb. 4 -- the Philadelphia Eagles.

Amendola originally signed with the Dallas Cowboys after the 2008 draft but was cut in the preseason. Five months later, he was added to the Phildelphia Eagles' practice squad, and was on that roster for nine months.

The Rams signed him off the Eagles' practice squad in 2009, but he remembers the early days by having a framed Eagles practice jersey hanging in his house. It even has his name on the back.

"A friend of mine actually found my original practice jersey I had in Philly," Amendola told ESPN.com's Mike Reiss this week. "I only had one, they put your name on the back and everything, and I guess they were selling it for some reason. He bought it, sent it to me framed and said, 'Hang this on your wall so you'll never forget the day they cut you.' I have it hanging. I'll never forget that. I learned a lot there, but at the end of the day ..."

Amendola said he learned a lot from the Eagles' receivers at the time -- Jason Avant, DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin.

"Philly was a great opportunity because I met Pat Shurmur. I was very grateful for that," Amendola said. "Unfortunately I wish I had more football memories there. I didn't play in any regular-season games, which sucks because I wanted to play.

"But I was thankful for the opportunity because I met some great people and for me, it was really beneficial because I got to relate a second offense I learned in the NFL to the first one, and I could kind of understand how the plays are called, my specific job on each play, my role. It was a learning experience for me. It was like grad school."

Amendola will face the Eagles for the third time when New England and Philadelphia meet in the Super Bowl at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis.

As a member of the Rams in 2011 he caught five passes for 45 yards against the Eagles. With the Patriots in 2015, he had seven catches for 62 yards and a touchdown against them.

However, Amendola was on the losing end both times.