With a mix of ferocity on defense and
finesse on offense, Mike Vrabel established himself as one of the most
versatile and dependable Patriots of all time, earning him a rightful place in
the team’s Hall of Fame.
Oct 19, 2023 at 03:06 PM
Eric Adler
Patriots 2023 Hall of Fame inductee, Mike Vrabel.
One
of the things Bill Belichick has been known for over his coaching career has
been finding players who can do more than just one thing.
It's
wide receivers Troy Brown and Julian Edelman returning punts and doubling as
defensive backs; it's defensive linemen Richard Seymour and Dan Klecko lining
up in a three-point stance but in the offensive backfield as fullbacks; it's
cornerback-turned-punt returner-turned wide receiver Marcus Jones, who last
season became the first NFL player in 75 years to score a touchdown in all
three phases of the game.
The
list of two-way talents extends beyond that, but when it comes to versatility, there was no one quite like
Mike Vrabel.
During his eight years with New England
(2001-2008), Vrabel was a human Swiss Army Knife. He played inside linebacker,
outside linebacker, special teams and occasionally came in on offense as a
tight end, where he assembled a truly unique stat line that hadn't been seen
before and hasn't been rivaled since: 10 catches for 10 touchdowns.
Vrabel's uncanny can-do-ism made him a
fan favorite in Foxborough, not just because it was fun to watch but because it
was central to the team's success. His offensive contributions
often took center stage – after all, two of his catches came in the Super Bowl.
But make no mistake, Vrabel was just as dynamic on defense, recording 11
interceptions, 16 forced fumbles, 56 sacks and 690 tackles (regular season and
post season combined).
The impact Vrabel made on
both sides of the ball helped propel the Patriots to unprecedented heights,
including an NFL-record 21 consecutive wins (2003-04), a franchise-record 21
consecutive wins at home (2002-05), 10 straight playoff victories (2001-05),
and a dynastic run that included three Super Bowl championships in four years
(2001, 2003 and 2004).
"Mike's leadership and versatility
were principal to one of the most successful eras in franchise history,"
Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft said. "Many Patriots players have
made contributions in all three phases of the game, but none more significantly
than Mike."
Patriots fans clearly agree with that
statement, so much so that this spring they gave Vrabel the ultimate honor by
voting him into the team's esteemed Hall of Fame. He becomes the 34th
HOF member and joins ex-teammates Troy Brown, Tedy Bruschi, Kevin Faulk, Ty
Law, Matt Light, Willie McGinest and Richard Seymour as the eighth player to
enter the Patriots Hall of Fame as a three-time Super Bowl champion.
"It's
an unbelievable honor to be associated with all the people in the hall,"
said Vrabel. "You don't think it's a big deal until you get called and
obviously, I'm very honored and I feel very blessed."
Few
people, including Vrabel, could have ever imagined he'd earn Patriots
immortality after signing with the team as a free agent in 2001 following a
four-year career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he was used primarily on
special teams and as a reserve linebacker. But under Belichick, he blossomed.
Vrabel
quickly earned Belichick's respect by seldom making a mental mistake and
started 12 of the team's 16 regular season games in 2001. He registered two
interceptions, three sacks and established himself as a tough-nosed tackler,
playing a key role on a defensive unit that was the backbone of the Patriots
first Super Bowl title team.
That defense boasted a litany of defensive stars: Law, McGinest,
Seymour and Bruschi, just to name a few. But at the time, they were led on
offense by a still-unproven second-year quarterback, sixth-round pick Tom
Brady, and had their share of doubters.
The
Patriots came into Super Bowl XXXVI against the St. Louis Rams as 14-point
underdogs; only the N.Y. Jets (at +18) faced bigger odds when they took on the
Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. That was just fine with many of the players,
including Vrabel, who knew a thing or two about being overlooked and
underestimated.
In
fact, Vrabel may have taken it so personally that he acted on it by having a
hand in arguably the most seminal play in Patriots team history.
The
Rams – known as the "Greatest Show on Turf"– began mounting a drive
midway through the second quarter in hopes of building on their already 3-0
lead. But the pendulum
swung the other way when Vrabel blitzed off the edge and made a B-line straight
to QB Kurt Warner.
The heavy rush forced the NFL MVP to
throw an errant pass that sailed softly through the air and into the waiting
arms of Law, who returned it 47 yards for a touchdown. It
gave the Patriots the lead and – more importantly – a boost of confidence. Yes,
they could beat the Rams, whom they had lost to by seven points at home 10
weeks earlier. Yes, they could stop or at least slow down Warner, Marshall
Faulk, Isaac Bruce and the rest of St. Louis' high-scoring stampede. Yes, they could shock the world
and become the first Patriot team to hoist the Lombardi trophy. All of it,
because of Vrabel and Law, now seemed possible.
New
England's defense continued to dominate and Brady's 14-yard TD pass to David
Patten just before halftime gave the Pats a 14-3 advantage. The Rams stormed
back in the fourth quarter to tie the game, but with 81 seconds to go, Brady
led a 53-yard drive that set up Adam Vinatieri's 48-yard game-winning field
goal. The ball sailed through the uprights just as the final seconds ticked off
the clock, and moments later, red, white and blue confetti reigned down from
the Louisiana Superdome.
"A
game like this makes you trust in all those corny-sounding clichés,"
Vrabel said afterward. "On paper you may not look as talented or as fast
or as strong as your opponent, but if you get guys to buy into a system and
fight to the bitter end, you can accomplish incredible things."
Few
words have proven as prophetic as those. Although the roster changed from year
to year, the Patriots team-first ethos remained intact and was the guiding
force behind their overwhelming success as they began piling up more wins, more
division titles, more conference crowns and more Super Bowl rings.
It didn't matter who
played where or when as long as the team won – and no one took that philosophy
to heart more than Vrabel, who added a new wrinkle to his game as a receiver.
Many imagine that Vrabel secretly fashioned himself as pass catcher and
petitioned for that role by badgering the coaching staff to let him play
offense. And if he did, who could've blamed him? Everyone wants to score a
touchdown. But the truth is, QB Drew Bledsoe and offensive coordinator Charlie
Weis were the real advocates.
"I
used to warm up with Drew [in 2001], just go out a couple of hours before the
game, goof around and run routes," said Vrabel. "I didn't want to sit
at my locker if I got there early, so I wanted to do something. And I said,
well, you know, I'll go out and catch balls for the quarterback. So I would
mess around with Drew and then I think he might've said to Charlie, 'Hey, this
guy could probably actually do something.'" Four games into the 2002
season, Vrabel got his chance. The Patriots were in a goal-to-go situation
against San Diego when in strolled a sixfoot- four, 250-pound linebacker, who
promptly lined up on the line of scrimmage, ran a crossing route and caught a
game-tying 1-yard TD from Brady. In doing so, Vrabel became the first Patriots defender to catch a
touchdown pass since linebacker John Tanner in 1974.
The
Patriots lost the game, 21-14, but gained valuable insight into a new offensive
weapon for years to come.
"It was as if he'd been playing
tight end all along," Weis said. "He was physical. He was athletic.
He could really catch the ball. He wasn't a stiff out there. He wasn't some
glorified lineman playing tight end. We had confidence in him." To the
point where Vrabel began making more and more cameos as a touchdown target,
including the most meaningful one of his career, which came the following season
in the waning moments of Super Bowl XXXVIII. A defensive dogfight for
the better part of three quarters, the Patriots and Panthers came to life in a
fourth quarter filled with offensive fireworks as they combined for 37 points.
Photos: Rare Mike Vrabel Pictures from His Time with the Patriots
We take a look at some rare pictures of
Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel, who will be inducted into the Patriots Hall of
Fame on Saturday, October 21, 2023.
https://www.patriots.com/photos/photos-rare-mike-vrabel-pictures-from-his-time-with-the-patriots
Carolina took its first lead, 22-21, with just under seven
minutes to go, but Brady rallied the Patriots with his signature composure and
precision passing. As New England moved within striking distance, Vrabel came
into the huddle and heard Brady call out the play: 1-36-Y Cross Z-Flag. It was
music to Vrabel's ears, as he ran a shallow crossing route (similar to the one
he ran against San Diego) and palmed the 1-yard pass, giving New England the
lead with just 2:51 remaining. With the clutch catch, Vrabel became the first defensive player to
score a Super Bowl touchdown on offense since William "The Refrigerator"
Perry did so for the Chicago Bears against the Patriots in Super Bowl XX. It
was all most people could talk about, but in true Mike Vrabel form and fashion,
he delivered just as much (if not more) on defense, finishing with six
tackles and two sacks, the latter of which occurred when he stripped Jake
Delhomme of the ball, resulting in a fumble that led to a Patriots touchdown in
the second quarter. Vrabel's
all-purpose playmaking, coupled with another last-second Vinatieri kick, helped
the Patriots claim a 32-29 win and their second Super Bowl title in three years.
Flash
forward a year and Vrabel was back on offense again in the Super Bowl. With New
England facing a first-and-goal from the 2-yard line, Vrabel lined up on the left side and was in a
one-on-one matchup with defensive end Jevon Kearse, but "the freak"
couldn't stop him. Vrabel used a burst of speed to get off the line, and fought
off a hold by Kearse (who was flagged on the play) before tipping Brady's pass
into the air and coming down with it as he fell in the end zone. "I
got dragged down by Kearse, but was lucky enough to catch it," Vrabel
said. "He was holding on for dear life."
The third-quarter score helped New
England edge Philly 24-21 and capture their third Super Bowl titles in four
years. In addition to securing another ring on his finger, Vrabel became the
subject of more trivia as the only defensive player in the history of the NFL
to catch two touchdown passes in the Super Bowl. He also had a sack
in the game, dropping Donovan McNabb for a 16-yard loss in a drive that ended
with an interception by Rodney Harrison. Days later, the cover of Sports
Illustrated read "Down Pat" and featured Vrabel and Harrison
celebrating with outstretched arms and stadium-sized smiles. If he wasn't already before,
Vrabel was now a household name. So how did a career backup transform
himself into not just a starter, but such an unlikely hero on both offense and
defense? "I tried to prove that I belonged there," said Vrabel.
"I think every day and every week, I wanted to try to be there, to be
productive and know as many positions as I could." Three Super Bowls in
four years could easily cause complacency, but Vrabel was never satisfied with
his past success. In 2005, he moved to inside linebacker after playing on the
outside his first four seasons and led the team with 108 tackles (40 more than
the next closest player). In
2007, he recorded a career-best 12.5 sacks and helped lead the Patriots to a
perfect 16-0 regular season, earning a Pro Bowl nod and NFL First-Team All-Pro
honors.
And of course, he kept on scoring
touchdowns as an ever-reliable red zone receiver.
"He was very good at evading
defenders and getting off the line of scrimmage," Brady said of Vrabel.
"He's very quick and used his hands well. Vrabes was a machine."
Vrabel played the final two seasons (2009-10) of his 14- year
NFL career with Kansas City, where he added two more touchdown catches to his
offensive oeuvre. All told, he amassed 13 TDs – 12 catches, and an interception
return for a score against Carolina in 2005, in addition to his 850 career
tackles, 66 sacks, 22 forced fumbles and 11 picks.
Versatility, thy name was Vrabel.
Longtime Patriots beat writer Tom Curran recently compiled a list of the top 50
players in the Belichick era. He listed Vrabel as No. 6 overall.
"There were Patriots players faster than Mike Vrabel. There were stronger
Patriots and quicker Patriots. Some had softer hands or superior hand-eye
coordination. A few could probably jump higher. But no Patriot in the almost 20 years I've covered the
team was as far above average in each of those physical categories than Mike
Vrabel," wrote Curran.
"He was like a decathlete, able to
cross disciplines and excel in all of them."
Following
his playing career, Vrabel returned to Ohio State, his alma mater, as an
assistant coach, spending three years with the Buckeyes (2011-13). He parlayed
that into his first NFL coaching stint, as linebackers coach for the Houston
Texans (2014-16) before being promoted to defensive coordinator the following
year. In 2018, the Tennessee Titans hired Vrabel as their head coach. He's
compiled some big wins since then, including a playoff victory over the
Patriots in 2019. Though he's the enemy on those days when the Pats and Titans
clash, Vrabel – a member
of New England's All- 2000s Team, 50th Anniversary Team, and All-Dynasty Team –
will forever be remembered as a career Patriot.
"During his Patriots career, there
was no player more respected for his football intellect and revered for his
leadership by his teammates than Mike," said Belichick.
"You could just see his overall passion for the game. Whether playing all
the positions on offense and defense, he had a great understanding and
awareness of the total game and loved to play it. He was a great Patriot."
This past spring, Kraft
conducted a video call with Vrabel to tell him the news that he'd been inducted
into the Patriots Hall of Fame. Kraft threw a bouquet of "thank yous"
at Vrabel way before offering him the highest compliment.
"You were the heart and soul of
the greatest period of any team in the history of the NFL," Kraft said.
Indeed he was. On offense, on defense,
and everywhere, Mike Vrabel was a peerless performer, a master of all things.
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