Mike Vrabel doesn’t want any fights breaking out at New England Patriots training camp, and he speaks from experience. The first-year Patriots coach said Monday he’s emphasized discipline during padded practices, especially for younger players trying to prove themselves.
That message is rooted in a lesson Vrabel learned the hard way as a rookie linebacker with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1997, when he got into a fight on the very first day of full-contact drills.
“I don’t want any of us doing that,” Vrabel said with a smile, when asked if he discourages rookies from fighting. “Of course,” he added more seriously. “We want to be able to practice the same way we have to play, which is physical and within the rules. Have a great play demeanor, finish through the whistle and all those things.
“If you throw a punch, you’re going to get kicked out of the game, which is going to cost the team,” Vrabel said. “So I don’t anticipate any of that.”
Vrabel eventually opened up about a story from his first camp in Pittsburgh, when he got into a scuffle with a tight end. Later that day, veteran linebacker Greg Lloyd finally spoke to him for the first time — but only to issue a warning.
“I’m exhausted after practice, and I see this shadow come over me,” Vrabel said. “And in his deep voice, [Lloyd’s] like, ‘Yeah, the next time you want to come up underneath the face mask?’ And I was like, ‘You just now are going to talk to me?’ And he says, ‘Yeah, I just wanted to make sure you weren’t like a punk, and then I would talk to you.'”
Asked if he won the fight, Vrabel smiled and replied, “I think I did.”
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Vrabel said the moment was a lesson in earning respect — but also a reminder that there are better ways to make an impression.
“I want us to celebrate with our team and with the defensive unit, celebrate with each other,” Vrabel said. “Not get into the taunting and the things that we can’t have during the game.”
Vrabel spent four seasons in Pittsburgh before signing with the Patriots in 2001, becoming a core piece of their early dynasty and winning three Super Bowls. Now back in Foxborough as head coach, Vrabel is looking to instill a culture of toughness without losing control.