Sportsnaut
After getting bloody while trying to break up a fight on Wednesday, some New England Patriots players invoked the name of President Donald Trump when trying to explain how stunning the image of head coach Mike Vrabel was.
Vrabel is beloved among Patriots fans for being a smart and gutsy linebacker during the franchise’s dynasty period in the 2000s. It is why so many were excited when he was brought in to take over as head coach this year. While he has a lot of work to do, he is already showing that same toughness fans love during the team’s summer practices.
Yesterday, the 49-year-old dove into a melee during his team’s joint practice with the Washington Commanders. After getting things broken up, the coach emerged from the mayhem with a bloody nose. And that moment was hit with potential franchise QB Drake Maye.
“That’s what we’re trying to build, and it starts with the head coach — intensity, bringing it every day, taking no crap when we’re out there on the field,” Maye said after practice, via FOX News. “The mentality, I like it. That’s what you want.”
The moment sent a message to Maye and his New England teammates about the sort of toughness and intensity their new coach will be expecting from them in 2025. Vrabel coming out of the pile, bloody, was so memorable to Maye that he claimed it reminded him of an iconic but nearly fatal moment with President Trump last year.
“Somebody was saying it was like the Trump gunshot,” Maye said, and pointed toward his ear.
Just over a year ago, President Trump survived an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally. He suffered a wound on his ear after being clipped by a shot from the assailant. The image of the blood on his ear and face has become an iconic image in American politics.
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