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

[Buckskin86]

Chiefs? Vrabel Mentoring Young Linebacker
By Chris Vinson
Football News Now Staff Writer
September 2, 2010

Chiefs' linebacker Mike Vrabel

Kansas City Chiefs? head coach Todd Haley said he likes the relationship that has developed between linebackers Mike Vrabel and Andy Studebaker, according to Kent Babb of the Kansas City Star.

Vrabel, the veteran, has taken Studebaker under his wing and acted as a mentor to the 24-year old linebacker.

Haley likes the fact that although Studebaker may soon be taking playing time away from him, Vrable doesn?t hesitate to teach, and counsel the younger player.

?The relationship between Mike and Andy is what we?re trying to establish across the board, at all positions,? Haley said. ?You have a veteran player that is teaching, coaching, schooling, working with the guy that could take his job or take reps from him. You see Mike, it doesn?t matter to him.?

Read more: Chiefs’ Vrabel Mentoring Young Linebacker

 

[Buckskin86]

Browns notebook: Vrabel's mistake is costly
By Steve Doerschuk
CantonRep.com staff writer
Posted Sep 19, 2010

CLEVELAND ?

Former Walsh Jesuit and Ohio State stalwart Mike Vrabel has never played for his home-state team, but he was in danger of helping the Browns to a memorable win for a second time.

Late in the 1999 season, when Vrabel was a Pittsburgh Steeler, the Browns seemed doomed before Vrabel put a late hit on Tim Couch, advancing the Browns into field goal territory. Phil Dawson kicked a wind-tossed 36-yarder on the final play for a 16-15 win.

On a third-and-goal play Sunday, the Chiefs seemed to have the Browns stopped, but the Browns got a first down when Vrabel was called for illegal contact while Seneca Wallace was scrambling to find a receiver.

The Browns scored two plays later.

http://www.cantonrep.com/sports/x995827841/Browns-Notebook-for-Sept-20

 

[Buckskin86]

Arrowhead Report: Thursday, Sept. 30th
By Josh Looney

Coach Waters gets best of Coach Vrabel; Vrabel claims victory over Haley play-call

Coach Mike Vrabel?s defense squared off against Coach Brian Waters? offense to conclude a week of Chiefs practices that featured veteran players serving as assistant coaches. Thursday?s close was the pinnacle of week-long ?staff meetings,? film review and other happenings that saw players dabble into the coaching world.

Vrabel and Waters, the respective leaders on each side of the football, were each given full play-calling duties during team drills to finish out the week of practice.

?(Vrabel) and Coach Waters were going mano y mano on calling their sides of the ball,? Haley said. ?It got down to crunch time and I happen to be standing over by Mike, and RAC (Romeo Crennel) and I were talking. Then, all the sudden, I heard Mike (whispering) ?you got any suggestions?? Meanwhile Coach Waters had a small army gathered around him.?

And Vrabel?s side of the story?

?I think Todd spins it a lot of different ways,? Vrabel fired back. ?I know he was over there calling plays on the offensive side, and when they don?t work, he?s looking for somebody else to call the plays.?

Vrabel went on to admit that the offense scored a victory over his defensive unit on Thursday, but he also made sure to note that it wasn?t Haley?s play-calling that did the defense in.

?I will say this; the play that Todd called, we stopped,? Vrabel smiled.

Overall, coaches and players believe that the new approach to bye-week practices was successful. The team was able to work on Indianapolis, correct mistakes and gain a new appreciation of the coaching perspective.

?It forced us to be real involved with the meetings, the practice schedule and making calls, so I think that it?s helped me and the other guys that were able to be coaches,? Vrabel said. ?It?s a whole different ballgame. You?re thinking about what you?re going to call and the certain personnel that they?ve got in. Looking forward to Indy, we set up the walk-thru of what they like to do.?

After serving a week as an honorary NFL assistant, Mike Vrabel?s post-career coaching aspirations remain in-tact. He did, however, close one door towards a potential future in coaching.

?I told Todd that the one thing he?s taught me is that I?ll never coach with him,? Vrabel joked. ?This helped me make that decision. I told him that after three days I may want to coach, but I?m not going to coach on your staff.?

http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/articl...ept-30th/10a51d91-4b40-4632-b6b6-a8c035766ab3

 

[Buckskin86]

Ex-Pat Mike Vrabel loves his Chief occupation
Karen Guregian By Karen Guregian / NFL Notes
Sunday, October 3, 2010

When he was a free agent during the offseason, linebacker Mike Vrabel briefly entertained the notion of returning to the Patriots.

He would have enjoyed coming back to the place where he won three championship rings. He just wasn?t sure if the Pats wanted him back. They did, after all, trade him away for virtually nothing -- amounting to a throw-in in the Matt Cassel deal with the Chiefs.

In the final analysis, though, Kansas City was the better fit. His family was tugging at him to remain in Kansas City, where his wife and sons enjoyed their first year. Vrabel is also comfortable living in the area, but more important, he liked the direction the Chiefs were headed.

He was well suited for the mentor role he took on with the Chiefs? young linebacking corps, and saw a promising future for the defense. He liked head coach Todd Haley, and when his former Patriots defensive coordinator, Romeo Crennel, was brought aboard in January, he knew Kansas City was exactly where he wanted to be for the 2010 season.

So Vrabel signed for another year in March. And the 35-year old veteran said he couldn?t be happier.

?I am absolutely (having fun),? Vrabel told the Herald in a phone interview Wednesday. ?Just to be able to play into my 14th year and help contribute to a team -- I would have never envisioned it lasting this long.?

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/...articleid=1286167&srvc=sports&position=recent

 

[NJ-Buckeye]

Glad to see Vrabel's getting some coaching practice.. since I predict that's exactly where he'll be in a few short years.. coaching somewhere on the tOSU defense

 

[Buckskin86]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b3FXsVt8F8"]YouTube - Mike Vrabel[/ame]

 

[Buckskin86]

Vrabel-scores-on-TD-catch- NFL.com video

 

[CentralMOBuck]

Vrabel-scores-on-TD-catch- NFL.com video

Cassell threw a 10 yard laser beam to Vrabel there. I was surprised as hell he caught the pass.

 

[Buckskin86]

Kansas City Chiefs LB Mike Vrabel Will Do What It Takes To Win
by Joel Thorman on Oct 20, 2010

Earlier this season we saw a pair of players -- Cleveland Browns C Alex Mack and San Francisco 49ers RT Anthony Davis -- accuse Kansas City Chiefs DE Shaun Smith of grabbing them below the belt.

I think the reaction from Chiefs fans was something along the lines of, 'Hey, whatever helps you win.' I'm in the same boat -- it's only cheating if you get caught.

A story in Deadspin this week would suggest that LB Mike Vrabel subscribes to that line of thinking.

Star-divide

Here's an excerpt from a book by Anthony Gargano -- NFL Unplugged: The Brutal, Brilliant World of Professional Football -- as former Eagles LB Ike Reese explains trying to recover a fumble during a punt return against the Patriots.

"Mike Vrabel grabbed my sac," Reese said. "We're all scrambling for the ball and Mike Vrabel had my nuts so hard I was screaming. I didn't even have the ball. He had my shit in his hands and he's squeezing. We don't wear cups. So I'm dying. Everything is fair game. The pile clears and I see him ? now Mike, he's an Ohio guy, and I played against him at Ohio State when I was at Michigan State ? and he's smiling and shit at me. I turned to him and said, ?You fuckin' asshole.'"

http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2010/...s-lb-mike-vrabel-will-do-what-it-takes-to-win

http://deadspin.com/5667988/

 

[Buckskin86]

October 23, 2010
Mike Vrabel?s Improbably Perfect Stat Line
By ANDREW DAS

Chiefs linebacker Mike Vrabel may take a fascinating stat line into retirement ? if he ever retires.

Vrabel, who is in his 14th N.F.L. season, caught a 2-yard touchdown pass in Sunday?s 35-31 loss to the Texans. It was the 12th reception of his career, and all 12 were for touchdowns, including two in the Super Bowl with New England ? against the Panthers in 2004 and against the Eagles in 2005. Sunday?s 2-yard score matched Vrabel?s career long, such as it is.

But he also has a 13th touchdown, a 24-yard interception return against the Panthers in 2005 that, in one play, surpassed his career receiving total (17 yards).

http://fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/23/mike-vrabels-improbably-perfect-stat-line/

 

[Buckskin86]

One player to watch
November, 4, 2010

By Bill Williamson
One player to watch from each AFC West team in Week 9:

Kansas City: Mike Vrabel, linebacker: Vrabel, 35, played like he was in his prime in the Chiefs? overtime win over Buffalo. He had 11 tackles in the game. He was all over the field. Vrabel is no longer a dominant tackler, but he is a smart player and expect him to be ready for the Chiefs? vital game against Oakland on Sunday.

http://espn.go.com/blog/afcwest/post/_/id/19513/one-player-to-watch-9

 

[Buckskin86]

Vrabel is ?Jerry Atriks?

The nameplate above the locker of linebacker Mike Vrabel has been replaced by one reading, ?Jerry Atriks.? Vrabel is 35.

The nameplate has been on Vrabel?s locker for a couple of days, and he said he has no plans to take it down.

?It?s appropriate,? he said. ?I like it. The funny thing is some of these guys are asking, ?Who?s Jerry?? ?

Cassel has his locker next to Vrabel?s. He was initially the prime suspect in the prank, but the nameplate was actually made by injured wide receiver Jerheme Urban.

That doesn?t mean that Cassel, a former teammate of Vrabel?s in New England, isn?t getting enjoyment from it.

?I definitely love it,? Cassel said.

Vrabel is the second-oldest player on the Chiefs. The title of elder statesman goes to center Casey Wiegmann, who is 37.

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/12/0...ays.html?storylink=omni_popular#ixzz173N5j76j

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRtjFYC-1VQ"]YouTube - Under the Helmet - Mike Vrabel[/ame]

 

[Buckskin86]

Outside linebacker Mike Vrabel is 35 and has no contract for 2010. The Chiefs have been grooming Andy Studebaker to take Vrabel?s starting spot eventually. Vrabel lost some of his playing time last season to Studebaker, but the Chiefs would face a leadership void without Vrabel.

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/01/1...efs.html?storylink=omni_popular#ixzz1Av0T9kml

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCMdiI3z5NE"]YouTube - ?Mike Vrabel Tribute - NFL Linebacker??[/ame]

 

[ScriptOhio]

Just sayin': The situaltion between the NFL and NFLPA has the potential to get real nasty. Mike is an NFLPA executive committee member. I just wonder if that will effect the Chiefs decision in any way when they decide whether they want to offer him another contract.

 

[Buckskin86]

Brees tops all-time best free agents list
By Jason Cole, Yahoo! Sports
Jan 14

4. Mike Vrabel(notes), New England Patriots, 2001: Vrabel?s 14-year career is about as workmanlike as it gets. Only twice has he had more than 5? sacks in a season. He?s not particularly fast or imposing. But he is one of the guys who symbolizes the greatness of the Patriots over the past decade, even if he is now playing out the string with Kansas City. Vrabel was signed away from the Pittsburgh Steelers as a lightly-considered ?tweener, considered not quite big enough for defensive end and not quite athletic enough for linebacker. Yet, he became was one of the stalwarts of a team that won three Super Bowls and came within a miraculous drive by the New York Giants of winning a fourth and going undefeated. Yeah, Vrabel may not seem as good as some of these other guys. But winning is the bottom line.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=jc-topfreeagents011411