New Patriots safety Kevin Byard, who played for Mike Vrabel in Tennessee, says the coach "seems a lot more tame.”
New Patriots safety Kevin Byard, who played for Mike Vrabel in Tennessee, says the coach "seems a lot more tame.”Barry Chin/Globe Staff
FOXBOROUGH — Kevin Byard still remembers his first team meeting with coach Mike Vrabel.
After the Titans finished up their first spring practice, which Byard described as a “jog-through,” Vrabel approached the subsequent film session with an intensity that stunned the room.
“Taylor Lewan, who was one of the best left tackles in the league at the time, I want to say he was in the middle of contract negotiations or something like that — and he ripped him,” Byard recalled, before offering an impression of Vrabel’s remarks.
“It was kind of like a shock to everybody. You know, it’s like, man, this is our top player, basically. He was just ripping into him. It was like the first day. I think he just kind of set the tone of, like, everybody in this building will be held accountable. If you’re the top guy and you’re not working hard, what do you think you need to do if you’re a young guy?”
The Titans had just parted ways with Mike Mularkey following a 9-7 season and playoff berth. Even though Vrabel, then a first-time head coach, wasn’t taking over a traditional rebuild, Byard still remembers how he immediately changed the team’s culture.
The start of Byard’s tenure in Tennessee predates Vrabel — the Titans drafted him in the third round in 2016 — but the two went on to form an incredibly close relationship. Byard played 5½ seasons for Vrabel, establishing himself as an organizational cornerstone, locker room leader, and one of the best safeties in the NFL.
Now, eight years after that first team meeting, the two have reunited in New England. Coming off a trip to the Super Bowl in Vrabel’s first year at the helm, the Patriots signed Byard to a one-year contract this month.
“He seems a lot more tame,” Byard said.
The decision to sign with the Patriots was “fairly easy” for Byard, who spent half a season in Philadelphia and two in Chicago after the Titans traded him in October 2023. If he wasn’t going to return to the Bears for another year, then moving to New England was his top choice.
The rapport with Vrabel, as well as much of the defensive coaching staff, was a draw. He’s kept in touch with several folks since leaving Tennessee.
“Being able to join forces again, it kind of feels like a family reunion,” Byard said.
Byard still remembers when Scott Booker, now his position coach, was a Titans defensive assistant, and Zak Kuhr, now the Patriots’ defensive coordinator, was a quality control coach. Byard also overlapped with assistant head coach Terrell Williams, defensive line coach Clint McMillan, cornerbacks coach Justin Hamilton, and director of sports performance Frank Piraino.
It sounds as though the decision to sign Byard was just as easy for the Patriots. Not only will Byard play an important role alongside starting safety Craig Woodson, he will likely have an influential voice within the locker room.
“He’s someone our coaching staff has a ton of familiarity with,” said executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf. “I mean, they were — ecstatic would be an understatement — when we were able to agree to terms.”
Although Byard is turning 33 in August, and nearing the end of his playing career, the stat sheet would indicate otherwise. Last year, Byard led the NFL in interceptions (7), played 99.8 percent of the Bears’ defensive snaps, and earned first-team All-Pro honors for the third time. His game is still well-rounded.
“I’m not a guy that just plays in the back and picks the ball off,” he said. “I’ve had plenty of years where I’ve had 100 tackles. I almost had 100 tackles last year, even while leading the league in interceptions. I like to be able to mix it up and do a lot of things in my game.”
Kevin Byard led the NFL in interceptions (7) last season and played 99.8 percent of the Bears’ defensive snaps.
Kevin Byard led the NFL in interceptions (7) last season and played 99.8 percent of the Bears’ defensive snaps.Terrance Williams/Associated Press
Byard has never missed a game in 10 NFL seasons. Over his two most recent seasons, he played all but 14 defensive snaps.
“I know he’s an older player,” Wolf said. “I haven’t seen any real drop-off from him. I think he can still do everything. I think he proved that last year by obviously making All-Pro.”
Byard doesn’t know how many years he has left in the tank, so he acknowledged that the opportunity to compete for a Super Bowl also made New England an attractive place to play. Even watching from afar, he believes the team has the pieces in place — at quarterback and in the secondary — to contend.
“I’ve played more years than I’m going to play, more than likely,” he said. “I wanted to be a part of a team that has the opportunity [to contend].”
And his belief in Vrabel has certainly stayed strong.
“I was telling people in Chicago, literally telling people during training camp, ‘Watch out for New England. I’m telling you he’s going to get those boys turned around,’ ” Byard said. “None of this is surprising at all.”
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Nicole Yang can be reached at nicole.yang@globe.com. Follow her on X @nicolecyang.