New England Patriots - NESN.com
Mike Vrabel walked the walk on Wednesday when he dove into a human pile during a Patriots-Commanders practice fight. New England’s head coach emerged bloodied, much to the delight of his players.
So, why did he do it?
Dianna Russini of The Athletic attended the practice and spoke with Vrabel afterward. She offered insight during the latest episode of her “Scoop City” podcast on Thursday.
“Vrabel comes, finally they all split, and he’s got this gash on his face,” Russini recalled. “The trainers are running over, putting ice on it, trying to help him out — he was kind of laughing.
” … He was running off, and I was chasing after him, I’m like, ‘Coach, why’d you do that? You’re 50 years old, what are you doing?’ … He said, ‘I just want them to know I’ve got their back.’ “
That kind of leadership surely will endear Vrabel to his players as he tries to establish a new culture in New England, which has struggled in the post-Tom Brady era. And Vrabel is a hard-nosed, hands-on coach, so his willingness to get his hands dirty probably didn’t surprise anyone.
The Patriots and Commanders will meet Friday night in their respective preseason openers. Kickoff from Gillette Stadium is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.
