DE Mike Vrabel (All B1G, All American, Pro Bowl, All Pro, Super Bowl Champion)

[Buckskin86]

Vrabel a good example of scheme determining success
By Steve Muench
Scouts Inc.
(Archive)
Updated: January 16, 2008

The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Mike Vrabel out of Ohio State in the third round of the 1997 draft and Vrabel recorded a total of 59 tackles in his four years with the Steelers, making his biggest contributions on special teams. As a result, it came as little surprise when Pittsburgh allowed him to depart through free agency and sign with New England in 2001. That year Vrabel, who had primarily been used as a situational pass rusher in Pittsburgh, recorded 63 total tackles and the first two interceptions of his career, and deflected nine passes. In his seven seasons with the Patriots he has been one of the cornerstones of the New England defense, played a pivotal role in three Super Bowl wins and this year was named to his first Pro Bowl.

ESPN - Vrabel a good example of scheme determining success - NFL

 

[Buckskin86]

Move outside perfect fit for versatile Vrabel
By Jeff Horrigan
Saturday, January 19, 2008

FOXBORO - In many ways, Mike Vrabel is a reflection of the entire Patriots [team stats] defense.

Intelligent, unselfish and undervalued with his previous team, the veteran linebacker best represents the ?Patriots Way? with his willingness to do whatever it takes to win on a week-to-week basis. While the Patriots routinely surprise opponents by making changes and adjustments to their defensive schemes, Vrabel always has been willing to shift to any position necessary throughout his seven seasons with the team.

After being forced to move to an inside linebacker spot in each of the two previous seasons because of the respective ailments and injuries of Tedy Bruschi [stats] and Junior Seau, the 32-year-old was able to remain in an outside slot in 2007 and it resulted in arguably the best year of his career. Vrabel finished the regular season with 77 tackles, a career-high 12 sacks and four forced fumbles, earning him his first career Pro Bowl selection.

?Personally, it?s helped but you just do what you have to do to get by,? he said of remaining at outside linebacker. ?Sometimes that?s moving inside and sometimes that?s moving outside. To be able to play outside for a whole season has been reflective on the rush and everything else. But I don?t have any interceptions, so I?m not dropping (back in coverage) as much. I had interceptions inside. It?s kind of what you do is the play you?re expected to make.?

Vrabel turned in what may have been his finest game Oct. 28, when he registered 15 tackles, three sacks and three forced fumbles, while catching his 10th career touchdown pass as a goal-line tight end in a 52-7 pounding of the Washington Redskins.

?Every week we do whatever we?re supposed to do to win the game,? he said. ?If you don?t have that attitude, guys are on the wrong team.?

Move outside perfect fit for versatile Vrabel - BostonHerald.com

 

[osucollegebuck]

Did anyone see the Pats/Bolts game? I know there is no "Buckeye Bashing", and I say this as an anti-patriots shot but did anyone see Vrabels kung fu leg sweep move yesterday? C'Mon Vrabs! As Stephen A Smith would say, you're better than that.

 

[billmac91]

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I don't know if I'd classify him as dirty....he made the only play he had available to him, which was to try and trip (leg whip) Rivers. I think most players would have made the same move. I know some will say that is dirty, I think it's cheap, probably not dirty if that distinction makes any sense.

The play against Cleveland earlier this year was a lot worse than that, but I still don't think he's an overall dirty player.

 

[OCBucksFan]

Meh, as a Chargers fan I won't say it was dirty, but, I thought those leg whips were illegal? Then again, there weren't many penalties called in that game. Now, Richard Seymore and Rodney Harrison are a different story, but Vrabel just did what he could to keep the play from happening. If you want to blame anyone, blame the refs. At the end of the game, our guys gave credit to everyone except Seymore, saying he was dirty as hell, for what that's worth.

 

[osucollegebuck]

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I don't know if I'd classify him as dirty....he made the only play he had available to him, which was to try and trip (leg whip) Rivers. I think most players would have made the same move. I now some will say that is dirty, I think it's cheap, probably not dirty if that distinction makes any sense.

The play against Cleveland earlier this year was a lot worse than that, but I still don't think he's an overall dirty player.

Yea I'm with you there thats why I couldn't bring myself to call a Buck "dirty". I have to admit one of the true positives of Laurinaitis staying another year all but eliminates the chance of him or Malcolm from becoming a Patriot.

 

[BuckTwenty]

When I think of a leg whip, I think of a wrestling move ment to trip with added downward force applied by the "tripper" to the "tripee" (for lack of a better term there) or a soccer style slide tackle, and that hit didn't look like either to me. That was a great last ditch effort to use the momentum he had to get to the ball carrier and disrupt the pass. If that hit was from the quarterback's blind side or after the ball was in the air, I could see it being a dirty play.

Was it unorthodox? Yeah. But dirty? I didn't see it.

 

[OCBucksFan]

When I think of a leg whip, I think of a wrestling move ment to trip with added downward force applied by the "tripper" to the "tripee" (for lack of a better term there) or a soccer style slide tackle, and that hit didn't look like either to me. That was a great last ditch effort to use the momentum he had to get to the ball carrier and disrupt the pass. If that hit was from the quarterback's blind side or after the ball was in the air, I could see it being a dirty play.

Uhm... this isn't wrestling, it's football. In Wrestling, there's two people and the objective is to take the other person down, in football, the objective is to move the ball across the field and get into the enemies end zone. I realize, both a physical games so you might get confused, however, tripping is, in fact, illegal in football. As I said, the refs just let the two teams play, the penalties they called were so obvious that you couldn't not call them. No one wanted to see another game like the Cots/Chargers where even people who hate the Chargers said the refs were trying to screw them.

Was it [strike]unorthodox[/strike] Illegal? Yeah. But dirty? I didn't see it.

FIFY

 

[osucollegebuck]

Uhm... this isn't wrestling, it's football. In Wrestling, there's two people and the objective is to take the other person down, in football, the objective is to move the ball across the field and get into the enemies end zone. I realize, both a physical games so you might get confused, however, tripping is, in fact, illegal in football. As I said, the refs just let the two teams play, the penalties they called were so obvious that you couldn't not call them. No one wanted to see another game like the Cots/Chargers where even people who hate the Chargers said the refs were trying to screw them.



FIFY

Where was LT man? I saw Rivers out there giving it his all, as a Bolts fan you kinda have to be disgusted with Tomlinson. He should have at the very least given up his roster spot to someone who could have contributed on special teams or something. Well hopefully the Giants can beat the evil empire from New England. I think Turner made himself some big money though.

 

[BuckTwenty]

Uhm... this isn't wrestling, it's football. In Wrestling, there's two people and the objective is to take the other person down, in football, the objective is to move the ball across the field and get into the enemies end zone. I realize, both a physical games so you might get confused, however, tripping is, in fact, illegal in football. As I said, the refs just let the two teams play, the penalties they called were so obvious that you couldn't not call them. No one wanted to see another game like the Cots/Chargers where even people who hate the Chargers said the refs were trying to screw them.

But you can trip someone just as easily using your arm, but this is considered tackling and not "arm whipping". One is a fundamental tackle, the other is a dirty play. Maybe I've just watched too much soccer in my lifetime, but I didn't interpret his effort to be dirty or disgraceful.

 

[OCBucksFan]

Where was LT man? I saw Rivers out there giving it his all, as a Bolts fan you kinda have to be disgusted with Tomlinson. He should have at the very least given up his roster spot to someone who could have contributed on special teams or something. Well hopefully the Giants can beat the evil empire from New England. I think Turner made himself some big money though.

No idea, I wish he had been there though, we're a lot more dangerous in the red zone when we have a running back who's quick, agile and can throw if need be. He came out for the first few plays, took a helmet on the knee and was sat down by the doctors. I won't say I am disgusted, I will say I wish he knew how to handle injury better. The guy has never been injured in his career, some people cheerlead, some people sulk, he sulked. Turner helped his cause, he should get some nice money and start for another team.

Rivers, on the other hand is one tough SOB, he had Surgery done last Monday and managed to play on Sunday with a torn ACL, he has to go back to get full surgery done and will take 6 weeks of rehab. People can say what they want about his trash talking, but the guys got balls.

But you can trip someone just as easily using your arm, but this is considered tackling and not "arm whipping". One is a fundamental tackle, the other is a dirty play. Maybe I've just watched too much soccer in my lifetime, but I didn't interpret his effort to be dirty or disgraceful.

I didn't say it was a dirty play, I said it could have warranted a flag, it didn't, no harm no foul. Even if he had gotten flagged it would have been worth it because Rivers was trying to get a deep pass off. If I remember correctly, that pass was picked too. It was a smart play, the worst that happens is a 15 yard penalty, the best that could happen happened.

We all know that penalties happen on almost every play, it's up to the refs what they choose to throw the flag on. If they threw the flag on every penalty a football game would last 9 hours.

 

[Buckskin86]

Open Mike
Pats? Vrabel unafraid to bare all whether taking aim at the opposition, his teammates or his coaches
By Rob Bradford
Sunday, January 27, 2008

FOXBORO - Mike Vrabel made Bill Belichick smile.

The word had trickled all the way down to the hometown of the 32-year-old linebacker. Forget the tackles, the sacks, and the Vince Lombardi trophies, what people in the hallways of Vrabel?s old high school, Walsh Jesuit in Stow, Ohio, wanted to know was how their native son could crack the seemingly impenetrable fortress that is the Patriots [team stats] head coach?s scowl.

What they discovered is that it was all true. An extra point try in practice had ricocheted off the center?s back side, prompting Vrabel to mimic a standard Belichick saying, ?I?ve been in football 35 years and I?ve never seen that!? Rumor has it the exclamation was immediately followed by uncomfortable silence, and then the relief that came with the coach?s grin.

The folks back in Ohio always surmised that Vrabel could do just about anything, but now they -- along with the linebacker?s Patriots teammates -- know for sure.

?All through high school, he would be sitting there in the coach?s office with his feet up on the desk, yucking it up with the coaches, and we?re just thinking, ?What a personality,? ? said Gerry Rardin, Vrabel?s football coach at Walsh Jesuit. ?And then during his freshman year I went down to Ohio State and I?m walking through the facility when I see Mike Vrabel sitting in (then-head coach) John Cooper?s office with his feet up on the desk trying to beat Cooper in trivia.

?He?s the same he was as a freshman in high school, he?s the same he was at Ohio State, and then I heard that story about being one of the first to make Belichick laugh, and I thought, ?You know what? That?s Mike.? He can be the most easy-going person, a person you want to be around, and then he puts on his football helmet and you don?t want to be around. It?s a unique combination. But he?s so genuine and sincere, so you can let your guard down with a kid like that because you know he?s going to do the right thing.?

Open Mike - BostonHerald.com

 

[Buckskin86]

1/27/08

Mike Vrabel Press Conference Quotes

New England Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel addresses the media addresses the media during his press conference at Patriots team headquarters for Super Bowl XLII in Scottsdale Arizona on January 27, 2008.

(on whether his career has exceeded his expectations)
"Yes, I would say so. I don't know how many guys come into the NFL thinking they are going to play 11 years, first of all. To win three Super Bowls, go to a Pro Bowl, I would say that it has probably exceeded any expectation at the time I was a third-round draft pick of the Steelers in 1997.

Mike Vrabel Press Conference Quotes

Vrabel a steal from Pittsburgh
By Ryan Trepanier
Standard-Times correspondent
January 28, 2008 6:00 AM

Mike Vrabel could have been the next Kevin Greene, continuing the lineage of fearsome pass-rushing linebackers for the Steelers.

But after four seasons in Pittburgh, Vrabel was a free agent trapped behind Pro-Bowler Jason Gildon and an up-and-coming Joey Porter on the Steelers' depth chart. He saw only two options.

Most Popular Stories"It was just between Pittsburgh ? it was either going back to Pittsburgh and resuming the same role that I had with the Steelers, which coach (Bill) Cowher welcomed me back," Vrabel said. "He said, 'Hey, I totally understand you looking somewhere else and seeing if there's an opportunity there. If not, give me a call and you're welcome back here.'"

The alternative for Vrabel was the Patriots, and the rest is history.

"(Coach Belichick) gave me an opportunity to come here," Vrabel said. "He said I won't ever promise anybody a spot, but there'll be an opening for you to compete and be an every-down player. And then from 2001 on, it's kind of evolved.

"My role on the football team has kind of evolved, where the first year I just played first and second down and then the next year I played on third down and did a lot of other things. I just think it's just expanded since I've been here."

In his seventh season with the Patriots and 11th in the league, Vrabel is having his best season as a 32-year-old ? an age at which many of his linebacking peers are starting to decline. He had a career-high 12? sacks and was selected to start in his first Pro Bowl. He'll look to cap it with his fourth Super Bowl championship on Sunday in Glendale, Ariz.

SouthCoastToday.com: Vrabel a steal from Pittsburgh

 

[osugrad21]

Link

Tuesday, January 29, 2008 Quiet efficiency is the plotline of Vrabel?s story

By Rich Garven TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
[email protected]

Linebacker Mike Vrabel was fourth on the Patriots with 77 tackles and first with a career-high 12-1/2 sacks this season. (AP FILE PHOTO)

Enlarge photo

(He?s) just a tremendous leader on our team, and he?s really the quarterback of our defense.

Rodney Harrison,
ON MIKE VRABEL


PHOENIX? The Patriots? linebackers are, as one would suspect, a popular topic of conversation around here.

There?s Junior Seau?s still ringless finger, Adalius Thomas and his country cousin, Justin Tuck of the Giants, and the return ?home? of Tedy Bruschi, a former University of Arizona standout. But what of the fourth member of the highly decorated unit that will play in Super Bowl XLII on Sunday?

Mike Vrabel doesn?t have a catchy story, but he has had a terrific season. Perhaps the best of any Patriot defender.

?He?s one of the brains behind the operation,? safety Rodney Harrison said. ?(He?s) a smart, intelligent guy that just makes huge plays ? makes big plays, sacks, forced fumbles. (He?s) just a tremendous leader on our team, and he?s really the quarterback of our defense.?

Cont...

 

[Buckskin86]

+Vrabel still going strong(er) for Pats+
01/28/2008 -
By Tom Torrisi PA SportsTicker Pro Football Editor

PHOENIX (Ticker) -- Mike Vrabel's arrival in New England in 2001 was accompanied by little fanfare.

A situational pass rusher and backup linebacker for his first four professional seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Vrabel was viewed as a classic tweener - not big enough to play at defensive end and not talented enough to crack a vaunted linebacker corps in Pittsburgh.

It was a different situation with the Patriots, who were coming off a 5-11 season in coach Bill Belichick's first year with the team.

"In 2001, we were just trying to build our football team," Belichick said. "We didn't have a very good year in 2000 and brought in a lot of free agents in '01. We really didn't have much flexibility in the salary cap."

Translation - Vrabel, with just seven sacks in four seasons with the Steelers, came at the right price. Few could have envisioned the bang for their buck that Patriots have received from Vrabel in the past seven seasons

+Vrabel still going strong(er) for Pats+

Back On Outside, Vrabel Excels
All-Pro, Pro Bowl Selection For First Time
By DAVID HEUSCHKEL | Courant Staff Writer
January 29, 2008

PHOENIX - ? Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel has said he doesn't always agree with his coach despite Bill Belichick's success.

But Vrabel has coaching aspirations, so it would make sense to apply what he's learned from one of the best.

One thing Belichick did that worked was to move Vrabel back to outside linebacker. He was moved inside last season following a season-ending injury to Junior Seau Nov. 26 against the Bears. The signing of free agent linebacker Adalius Thomas and the return of Seau, allowed for that to happen.

Vrabel responded by having his best season. He was voted to the Pro Bowl and was named All-Pro for the first time in his 11-year career. And he's in the Super Bowl for the fourth time.

"I don't know how many guys come into the NFL thinking they are going to play 11 years, first of all," Vrabel said. "To win three Super Bowls, go to a Pro Bowl, I would say that it has probably exceeded any expectation at the time I was a third-round draft pick of the Steelers in 1997."

Back On Outside, Vrabel Excels -- Courant.com

Mike Vrabel at center of Pats' greatness
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
BY DREW VAN ESSELSTYN
Star-Ledger Staff

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Mike Vrabel looked around the tent outside the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa and found himself in good company.

Diagonally across the makeshift room was fellow linebacker Tedy Bruschi, who has played in every Patriots Super Bowl since his rookie season of 1996. Immediately to Vrabel's left was Kevin Faulk, whose subtle contributions were invaluable in three Super Bowl wins. With a 90-degree tilt of his head, Vrabel could make eye contact with Richard Seymour, a Pro Bowl fixture at defensive end.

But perhaps none has been more integral to the Patriots' Super Bowl success -- they will try to win their fourth championship in seven seasons Sunday -- than Vrabel.

Not bad for a guy who at one point contemplated retiring after four seasons, thinking his career would be little more than a footnote in the Pittsburgh Steelers' media guide.

"To really look back ... sometimes I still have to pinch myself," Vrabel said this week.

A standout defensive end at Ohio State, Vrabel was taken by the Steelers in the third round of the 1997 draft but never found a home there. From his rookie season through 2000, he never started and had just seven sacks in 51 games.

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