Robert Kraft video calls Mike Vrabel with Hall of Fame news

 

https://twitter.com/Patriots/status/1653858214616899585?s=20

Mike Vrabel voted in as newest member of Patriots Hall of Fame

 

BY WBZ-NEWS STAFF

MAY 3, 2023 / 3:19 PM / CBS BOSTON

 

BOSTON -- Mike Vrabel will finally be getting his red jacket in Foxboro.

The three-time Super Bowl champion was voted in as this year's inductee to the Patriots' Hall of Fame, beating out retired lineman Logan Mankins and former head coach Bill Parcells.

https://twitter.com/TheHall/status/1653837830651789312?s=20

Vrabel joined Bill Belichick's Patriots in 2001 as a free agent, after four years in Pittsburgh where he played sparingly for the Steelers. He carved out a critical role in a hurry under Belichick and Romeo Crennel, though, starting 12 games in '01 and setting a new career high with three sacks. He helped the Patriots' defense limit Kurt Warner and the Greatest Show on Turf in Super Bowl XXXVI, and he'd end up recording three sacks in the Patriots' run to another Super Bowl two years later, including two in the Super Bowl win over Carolina. In the 2004 playoffs, Vrabel had two more sacks, including one on Donovan McNabb in the Patriots' win over the Eagles.

With 48 sacks, Vrabel ranks seventh on the Patriots' all-time list, despite playing in just 66 games.

He also pulled double-duty as a goal-line tight end, catching 10 passes in his regular-season career, all of which went for touchdowns. He also caught two postseason touchdowns, with each of them coming in a Super Bowl.

Vrabel will be the eighth three-time Super Bowl champion inducted into the Hall of Fame, joining Troy Brown, Tedy Bruschi, Kevin Faulk, Ty Law, Matt Light, Willie McGinest and Richard Seymour.

The date and time of Vrabel's induction has yet to be announced, though it will have to fit into the schedule of Vrabel, who's currently the head coach of the Tennessee Titans.

"Mike's leadership and versatility were principal to one of the most successful eras in franchise history, propelling the Patriots to three Super Bowl titles in four years and establishing multiple NFL records for consecutive-game win streaks," Robert Kraft said.

"Many Patriots players have made contributions in all three phases of the game, but none more significantly than Mike. He was an eight-year starter on defense who also regularly contributed on special teams and is the only player in NFL history to score touchdowns on his first 10 career receptions, including touchdowns in back-to-back Super Bowl victories. He was respected for his football intellect and was destined to become a head coach in this league. I look forward to welcoming him back to New England, where his induction will preserve his legacy as one of the greatest players in franchise history." 

This year marked Vrabel's seventh consecutive year as a finalist for induction. He'll be inducted along with retired offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia, who will enter as a contributor.

Adam Coon Among Five Olympians to Reach U.S. Open Senior Greco-Roman Finals

By Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling | April 26, 2023, 9 p.m. (ET)

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – It was a strong semifinals round for past Olympians at the 2023 U.S. Senior Greco-Roman Open, who went five-for-five on the raised mat in the South Point Arena.

Making the biggest noise was 43-year-old Aliaksandr Kikiniou of Poway, a past Olympian and World medalist for Belarus, who reached the finals in his first U.S. Open as a U.S. citizen. He scored an impressive 8-0 technical fall over No. 2 seed Payton Jacobson of Sunkist at 77 kg. Kikiniou hit a four-point throw, a two-point arm throw and a gut wrench for the first period win. His opponent in the finals is two-time U.S. Senior World Team member and past U20 World champion Kamal Bey of Army WCAP.

The four other past Olympians who made the semifinals are No. 1 Ildar Hafizov of Army WCAP at 60 kg, No. 3 Jesse Thielke of Army WCAP at 67 kg. No. 1 Ben Provisor of New York Athletic Club at 87 kg and No. 3 John Stefanowicz of the Navy Wrestling Club at 87 kg. All of these Olympians have competed for the USA, although Hafizov was also an Olympian for Uzbekistan before emigrating to the USA. Provisor has been on two U.S. Olympic teams.

Stefanowicz, a 2020 Olympian, returned to action after not competing last season. He will face No. 1 seed and two-time U.S. World Team member Alan Vera of the New York AC in the finals.

At 67 kg, No. 4 seed Robert Perez III of the Sunkist Kids stopped the run of U17 World champion Joel Adams of The Best Wrestler, with a 4-3 win in the semifinals. Unseeded Adams upset 2020 Olympian and top seed Alejandro Sancho of Army WCAP in the quarterfinals. Perez will face Thielke in Thursday’s finals.

At 72 kg, two-time World Team member and top seed Pat Smith of the Minnesota Storm fell behind unseeded Jack Ervien Jr of Viking Wrestling Club, IA, 6-0, but rallied to tie it up at 7-7 and won the match on a gut wrench, 9-7. He will face No. 6 seed and Nevada native Justice Scott of Army WCAP, who beat his Army teammate and returning U.S. Open champion Britton Holmes, 4-1.

2018 World medalist Adam Coon of New York Athletic Club/Cliff Keen WC made his return to the mat successful, earning a spot in the 130 kg finals against No. 1 seed and two-time Senior World Team member Cohlton Schultz of the Sunkist Kids. Coon has not competed since the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, where he defeated Schultz. Coon has been pursuing pro football, and defeated No. 2 seed (and college football player) Tanner Farmer of the New York AC in the finals.

In four weight classes, the top two seeds advanced into the finals. At 59 kg, No. 1 Brady Koontz (TMWC/Dubuque WC) will battle No. 2 Dalton Duffield (Army WCAP). At 60 kg, No. 1 Hafizov draws Army teammate and No. 2 Dalton Roberts. At 82 kg, No. 1 Provisor will wrestle No. 2 and 2022 World Team member Spencer Woods of Army WCAP. At 97 kg, No. 1 seed and past World Team member Josef Rau of TMWC/Wildcat WC) will battle No. 2 Nicholas Boykin of the Sunkist Kids.

The U.S. Open champion qualifies for Final X in Newark, New Jersey, May 10. The top seven placewinners in each weight qualify for the World Team Trials Challenge in Colorado Springs, Colorado, May 20-21.

The Senior Greco-Roman medal matches are set for 4:00 p.m. PT on Thursday, live on FloWrestling.

U.S. SENIOR GRECO-ROMAN OPEN
At Las Vegas, Nev., April 26

Finals pairings
55 kg: No. 1 Brady Koontz (TMWC/Dubuque WC) vs. No. 2 Dalton Duffield (Army WCAP)
60 kg - No. 1 Ildar Hafizov (Army WCAP) vs. No. 2 Dalton Roberts (Army WCAP)
63 kg ¬ - No. 1 Sammy Jones (Sunkist Kids Wrestling) vs. No. 3 Hayden Tuma (Suples WC)
67 kg -. No. 3 Jesse Thielke (Army WCAP) vs. No. 4 Robert Perez III (Sunkist Kids)
72 kg - No. 1 Patrick Smith (New York AC) vs. No. 6 Justus Scott (Army WCAP)
77 kg - No. 1 Kamal Bey (Army WCAP) vs. No. 6 Aliaksandr Kikiniou (Poway)
82 kg - No. 1 Ben Provisor (New York AC) vs. No. 2 Spencer Woods (Army WCAP)
87 kg - No. 1 Alan Vera (New York AC) vs. No. 3 John Stefanowicz (Navy WC)
97 kg - No. 1 Josef Rau (TMWC/Wildcat WC) vs. No. 2 Nicholas Boykin (Sunkist Kids)
130 kg - No. 1 Cohlton Schultz (Sunkist Kids) vs. No. 3 Adam Coon (New York AC)

Senior Greco-Roman semifinal results

55 kg:
No. 1 Brady Koontz (Dubuque Wrestling Club/TMWC) tech. fall No. 5 Jacob Cochran (Army WCAP), 9-0, 3:45
No. 2 Dalton Duffield (Army WCAP) tech. fall No. 6 Billy Sullivan (Army WCAP), 10-0, 3:51

60 kg
No. 1 Ildar Hafizov (Army WCAP) dec. No. 4 Mason Carzino-Hartshorn (West Coast Greco RTC), 7-1
No. 2 Dalton Roberts (Army WCAP) tech fall No. 6 Dylan Koontz (TMWC/ Dubuque WC/), 9-0, 1:52

63 kg ¬
No. 1 Sammy Jones (Sunkist Kids Wrestling) inj. dft No. 4 Xavier Johnson (Army WCAP), 0:00
No. 3 Hayden Tuma (Suples WC) dec. No. 2 Leslie Fuenffinger (Army WCAP), 1-1

67 kg
No. 4 Robert Perez III (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) dec. Joel Adams (The Best Wrestler), 4-3
No. 3 Jesse Thielke (Army WCAP) tech fall No. 2 Alston Nutter (Sunkist Kids), 11-2, 3:34

72 kg
No. 1 Patrick Smith (New York AC) dec. Jack Ervien Jr. (Viking WC, IA), 9-7
No. 6 Justus Scott (Army WCAP) dec. No. 2 Britton Holmes (Army WCAP), 4-1

77 kg
No. 1 Kamal Bey (Army WCAP) tech fall No. 5 Burke Paddock (New York AC), 9-0, 3:27
No. 6 Aliaksandr Kikiniou (Poway) tech. fall No. 2 Payton Jacobson (Sunkist Kids), 8-0, 1:57

82 kg
No. 1 Ben Provisor (New York AC) dec. No. 5 Andrew Berreyesa (New York AC), 4-3
No. 2 Spencer Woods (Army WCAP) dec. No. 6 Kendrick Sanders (New York AC), 7-0

87 kg
No. 1 Alan Vera (New York AC) tech fall No. 5 Zachary Braunagel (Illinois RTC/Illini WC), 9-0, 1:42
No. 3 John Stefanowicz (Navy WC) dec. No. 2 Timothy Young (Army WCAP), 6-2

97 kg
No. 1 Josef Rau (TMWC/Wildcat WC) tech fall No. 4 George Sikes (New York AC), 8-0, 4:14
No. 2 Nicholas Boykin (Sunkist Kids) dec. No. 3 Christian DuLaney (New York AC), 7-5

130 kg
No. 1 Cohlton Schultz (Sunkist Kids) pin No. 5 Donny Longendyke (Minnesota Storm), 2:18
No. 3 Adam Coon (New York AC) dec. No. 2 Tanner Farmer (New York AC), 5-1