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

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Northen Kentucky University classes started this week. I'm taking attendance, going through my list of students and I run across Vrabel, David J. So I say, "David Vrabel." And the Kid says, "Wow! You're the first teacher to ever get that name right the first time." To which I say, "I'm a huge Buckeye fan and Mike Vrabel is one of my all time favorite buckeyes." The kid's face lights up, "He's my cousin!"

Sure beats the Michigan asshole I had last spring.
 
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Has anyone seen a Columbus area car dealer commercial with Vrabel in it?

I caught the tail end of an ad last night (Germain Toyota....I think) and thought I saw his name on it, but I wasn't certain of that. I also thought that they misspelled his name in the closing portion of the ad, but, again, I'm not even sure it was Vrabs in the commercial.



Man, I think they need to drop my meds a bit. :crazy:
 
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2007 PATRIOTS PREVIEW: Q&A with Mike Vrabel
September 07, 2007 6:00 AM

FOXBORO ? Considering that he was once the proverbial ugly duckling, linebacker cum situational tight end Mike Vrabel has found quite the niche for himself. Now entering his seventh season as a New England Patriot, the 32-year-old Vrabel has entrenched himself as an almost indispensable component.

A pre-med major at Ohio State, Vrabel barely stepped on the field during his first four pro seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Since signing with New England in March 2001, Vrabel's been a fixture on the defense and, occasionally, on short-yardage situations. Perhaps even more impressive than his versatility on the defense (including high-level play at either inside or outside linebacker), though, are his receiving numbers: eight career catches, eight touchdowns.

Not surprisingly, head coach Bill Belichick has lauded his intelligence, referring to him on several occasions as one of the smartest players he's ever coached. Teammate and fellow linebacker Rosevelt Colvin says Vrabel is a "Swiss Army knife" because of his versatility and game knowledge. Quarterback Tom Brady has a love-hate relationship with him.

He loves him on Sundays, but hates Vrabel on Saturdays in the fall. The Michigan alum knows Vrabel's a Buckeye through and through, and one always seeking the opportunity to stick it to No. 12.
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Q: Did you give Tom Brady a gift for his newborn son?

A: No. I bought him an Ohio State onesie and he declined it. So I chose not to get him another present. I didn't give it to him. I'm kidding.
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SouthCoastToday.com: 2007 PATRIOTS PREVIEW: Q&A with Mike Vrabel

Vrabel elected one of 7 team captains

Vrabel will serve as a captain for the third straight year after first earning the honor in 2005. His versatility has allowed him to play inside and outside linebacker on defense and on offense he has recorded eight career receptions - all for touchdowns.
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Patriots elect seven team captains for 2007 season
 
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Sunday, September 9, 2007
Vrabel ultimate ?utility infielder?

By Bud Barth TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
[email protected]

If you were going to build a New England Patriot from scratch, he?d probably look a lot like Mike Vrabel.

Smart, versatile, hard-working, durable, a natural leader.

And yet the Patriots not only didn?t build Vrabel, they didn?t even draft him. That was the good sense of the Steelers, who plucked Vrabel ? then a pre-med major and defensive end ? from Ohio State in the third round of the 1997 draft.

But Pittsburgh gave up way too early on the 6-foot-4, 260-pounder. Vrabel signed with New England as an unrestricted free agent in March 2001, and his career took off like a Trident missile.

?Well, it gave it a good shot in the arm,? agreed the multitalented linebacker, who is beginning his 11th NFL season and was voted a captain by his teammates for the third straight year. ?Change is always a good thing. After four years (in Pittsburgh), things were pretty stagnant ? at least in my career.?
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Worcester Telegram & Gazette News
 
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Link

Vrabel ready to get after Losman

BY MARK FARINELLA / SUN CHRONICLE STAFF
Thursday, September 20, 2007 12:33 AM EDT


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Defensive lineman Ty Warren (94) and linebacker Mike Vrabel celebrate a sack against the New York Jets. (Staff photo by Keith Nordstrom) FOXBORO - The Buffalo Bills have lost seven straight games to the New England Patriots, and their young quarterback is 0-3 in his career against them.

But don't let that fool you, Patriots' outside linebacker Mike Vrabel said Wednesday. It would be foolhardy for him or any of the Patriots to take J.P. Losman lightly Sunday at Gillette Stadium.


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Patriots notebook
Vrabel back in his comfort zone
Linebacker an outsider again
By Mike Reiss and Christopher L. Gasper, Globe Staff | September 20, 2007

FOXBOROUGH - One of the benefits the Patriots have realized from playing Adalius Thomas at inside linebacker has been the return of Mike Vrabel to his more customary outside spot. Vrabel's 3 1/2 sacks lead the NFL.

In each of the last two seasons, Vrabel shifted to the inside - first to help fill the void left by Ted Johnson's retirement in 2005, then to replace the injured Junior Seau last season. He's happy to be back on the outside, where he's more comfortable.

"I played that spot for eight years," said Vrabel, who has been credited by the coaches with 11 tackles, tied for third on the club. "When you get asked to play another position, you try to do as well as you can do with the understanding that it is not probably your best position, but it is something that has to be done."

On the outside, the 6-foot-4-inch, 261-pound Vrabel has more opportunities to rush the passer, and he's also effective in battling tackles and tight ends to keep running backs from getting to the perimeter.

With Vrabel and Rosevelt Colvin outside, and Thomas paired with either Tedy Bruschi or Seau inside, the Patriots are solid atop the linebacker depth chart. But when asked about the unique mix, Vrabel reminded reporters that it was only two months ago that some were calling the group old.

"Next week we'll be something else," he cracked before turning serious. "Guys are experienced; guys get a really good feel for how the game is going. I think AD [Thomas] is getting a feel for playing there; he's getting a feel for the game and reads the quarterback really well. Rosie [provides] rushing, and now that he's covering people and getting interceptions, we're never going to hear the end of it. I just think that the energy that Junior brings and then obviously Tedy's leadership and the ability that Tedy knows how to play both spots inside really gives us a lot of flexibility."
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Patriots' Vrabel likes being back at outside LB - The Boston Globe
 
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ANOTHER CATCH, ANOTHER SCORE - Tedy Bruschi has seen enough of fellow Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel's success on offense. Even when Vrabel caught a 1-yard touchdown pass Monday, marking his ninth career touchdown in nine career receptions, it's old news to Bruschi.

"It's getting to be old hat now; I'm getting kind of tired of it," an obviously joking Bruschi said. "It's fun. We're a tight group in the linebacker unit. We want to see each other succeed, whether it's a sack or a batted-down pass or scoring a touchdown."

Vrabel's first-quarter score gave New England a 10-0 lead, and it occurred on a third-and-1 after Cincinnati had stuffed two Patriots running plays.

"Defensively, you have to stop the run first," New England coach Bill Belichick said. "We all feel that way. Mike does a great job down there. He's got good hands, and Tom hit him. It was a well-executed play. But it's tough down there with the ball on the 1-yard line. You're trying to stop the run, and the play-action pass is hard to cover."
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The Cincinnati Post - Anderson starts, comes out early
 
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ABJ

Browns notebook
Team needs to watch Vrabel Patriots reap rewards from using linebacker in goal-line situations
By Marla Ridenour Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Thursday, Oct 04, 2007



BEREA: Tom Brady joked that Ohio State should have used Mike Vrabel as a goal-line tight end during his four years in Columbus.
''Maybe they would have beaten Michigan,'' suggested the former Wolverines quarterback. Michigan won three of four when Vrabel played defensive end from 1993 to 1996.
Monday night against the Cincinnati Bengals, the New England Patriots again reaped the rewards of using the linebacker from Walsh Jesuit in goal-line situations. Vrabel recorded his ninth career reception, all for touchdowns, in the Patriots' 34-13 victory.
''He's a great player, he's very athletic, he's got great hands, he's got great instincts,'' Brady said. ''He's very aware out there. It's fun to have him out there. When Junior (Seau) and Vrabel come in on the goal line, the median IQ of our offense goes down about 30 points. That's what we're dealing with with a Buckeye.'' (Seau, also a linebacker, plays fullback in those situations.)
Patriots coach Bill Belichick likes the mismatch the play creates with Vrabel. On Monday, it was third and goal at the 1.
''It's tough down there trying to stop the run and you run a play-action pass,'' Belichick said. ''They're hard to cover; we have trouble with them, too. We've seen that a couple of times already this year.
''Mike does a great job down there. He can slip around those guys and get into the secondary. He has good hands. He's pretty reliable. He sees that ball coming. His eyes light up.''
Browns coach Romeo Crennel, whose team visits the Patriots on Sunday, said a player is assigned to cover Vrabel, but sometimes they forget when it's not a tight end.
''We might just impress upon whoever has to cover that guy that he will release and you better cover him,'' Crennel said. ''Hopefully, we can.''
 
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Dispatch

Vrabel's success mirrors Patriots'
OSU graduate embodies spirit of perennial power
Friday, October 5, 2007 4:19 AM
By Bill Rabinowitz


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Vrabel_10-05-07_C9_1483R9I.jpg
Mike Vrabel


Based on NFL actuarial tables, the end should be near for Mike Vrabel. Yet at 32, Vrabel shows no signs of slowing down. The Bengals learned that Monday. The Browns will take their dose Sunday.

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ABJ

Browns notebook
Vrabel cuts off talk about Browns hit Belichick backs player, who says he's sorry Steinbach saw play as dirty
By Marla Ridenour Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Thursday, Oct 11, 2007
BEREA: New England Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel didn't blast Browns guard Eric Steinbach for calling him ''classless'' after what Steinbach thought was a dirty play at the end of Sunday's game.
''I'm going to say this one time,'' Vrabel told New England media Wednesday. ''I'm sorry that they feel that way. I don't play that way, and I'm sorry they feel that way. We're going to move on.''
Quarterback Derek Anderson spiked the ball with 11 seconds remaining. Vrabel bull-rushed left tackle Joe Thomas and slid low, staggering Thomas and clipping Anderson, who fell. A scrum ensued, with Steinbach and center Hank Fraley pouncing on Vrabel.
Vrabel, a graduate of Walsh Jesuit High School who starred at Ohio State, was asked whether he stumbled because Thomas didn't fire into him, but he wouldn't answer.
''There are a lot of people here who want to ask questions about the Dallas Cowboys,'' Vrabel said of Sunday's clash of NFL unbeatens.
Browns coach Romeo Crennel said he looked at the play on film, but he also had no comment. Anderson wouldn't address it.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick defended Vrabel on Tuesday.
''The only reason Mike was even in the vicinity of anyone's legs or knees is because he was pushed down,'' Belichick told the Boston Globe. ''Then they hit him late. It looked to me that the players were off-balance, probably because the offense, knowing it was a spike, slowed down. Mike just did what any defensive player should do: Play hard to the whistle and take nothing for granted. I wouldn't tell Mike to do anything differently.''
Vrabel appreciated Belichick's backing.
''I think that Bill is great for this team, great for the players,'' Vrabel said. ''I think we try to do a lot for him, and he does a lot for us.''
Safety Rodney Harrison was also in Vrabel's corner.
''I've known Mike for five years now,'' Harrison told the Patriots media. ''Tremendous football player. Better person. Family man. Nothing dirty on Mike except his underwear.''



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