With pads on in New England, there’s an element of do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do coming from the team’s new coach.
Mike Vrabel mixed it up as a player. He doesn’t want his players to mix it up.
The topic came up with a reference to Vrabel fighting during his first padded practice. Asked for details, Vrabel initially said, “Nope.”
With a little more prodding, the “nope” went to “yep.”
After explaining the well-documented practical consequences of fighting during a game, Vrabel shared a story about his first fight.
“Greg Lloyd was a very dominant player, imposing figure,” Vrabel said. “I got drafted in April, and he didn’t say a word to me through OTAs. I’m on the defense, mind you. He didn’t say a word to me the entire offseason. We go to training camp. There’s a fight with me and a tight end. I’m exhausted after practice, and I see this shadow come over me as I’m sitting in the locker room. He’s in his deep voice, and he’s like, ‘Yeah, the next time you want to come up underneath the face mask.’ And I was like, ‘[You’re] just now are going to talk to me?” He’s like, ‘Yeah, I just wanted to make sure you weren’t like a punk, and then I would talk to you.’ So, it’s a good example of just a veteran making sure that rookies kind of earn their stripes, I guess, a little bit.”
That’s still true today. And there will be young players in New England who will want to earn their stripes — and/or to prove they’re not “like a punk.”
Regardless, no responsible coach wants his players to fight. Even those coaches who once fought.