There are many players from the Patriots' Super Bowl run that were absolutely vital to their success. The names read like a who's who: Brady, Law, Seymour, Bruschi, Harrison, Faulk, Brown. The list goes on and on.
But there was one man who set the tone for those teams, using his leadership and high football IQ to become a fan favorite, making big play after big play. That man is Mike Vrabel, who announced his retirement this morning. Rumors swirled over the weekend that Mikey was hanging it up, and being a Buckeyes fan, I am ecstatic that he is joining the Ohio State coaching staff as linebackers coach, hopefully bringing some respectability back to a troubled program.
Mike Vrabel had always been my favorite Patriot. The toughness, intelligence, and love for the game was part of what made the Super Bowl teams great. He may not have always had the name recognition of a Law, Bruschi, or Harrison, but Mikey always gave maximum effort every Sunday and in doing so, helped forge the identity of what would soon become the class of the NFL.
Much has been made of "The Patriot Way", and it was guy like Vrabel who helped build and maintain that level of excellence, hard work, and professionalism. I met Ted Johnson at a Bruins game in 2008 and he told me that Vrabel was the smartest player he had ever played with. He wasn't as beloved as Brady or Brown but he made history throughout his career.
Everyone remembers Ty Law's pick six in Super Bowl XXXVI but it was Vrabel who pressured Kurt Warner into floating that duck right to Law's hands, changing the game and essentially changing NFL history. He only made one Pro Bowl (2007, but was the anchor of the Patriots Defense for years. He also was a threat in the red area, catching 10 career passes, ALL FOR TOUCHDOWNS. That will never happen again. I still have the picture of Vrabel flapping his wings in the end zone in Super Bowl XXXIX in my room. Just such a special player.
He was signed as a free agent after a few years in Pittsburgh and was dealt to the Chiefs in 2009 but he will always be a Patriot and my favorite one. Thank you and best of luck with the Buckeyes.
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