FOXBOROUGH - One of Vince Wilfork’s favorite memories of Mike Vrabel from their playing days together provides an excellent illustration of just how bold the Patriots coach can be.
Wilfork, who spoke with MassLive while in town promoting his new BBQ sauce, prefaced the story by saying Vrabel was never afraid to speak his mind.
It didn’t matter who was on the receiving end be it coaches or teammates.
“You’re not going to shut him up,” Wilfork said of his former teammate. “If he believes in something, he’s going to tell you straight up he believes in it.”
That led to some interesting exchanges. Wilfork said Vrabel was so outspoken as a player, even Tom Brady wasn’t immune to his barbs, and willingness to provide his two cents.
And Big Vince had a front row seat for most of it.
He said [Vrabel](https://Mike Vrabel reveals Patriots’ 1st wave of roster cuts "https://Mike Vrabel reveals Patriots’ 1st wave of roster cuts") would “pop his head in” on a quarterback meeting and then saddle up right next to Brady.
“If he can sit in a meeting with Tom Brady and talk about quarterback stuff, like, C’mon now,” Wilfork said, chuckling at the thought. “You’re talking about a defensive end sitting there with Tom, and saying, ‘No, you can’t do that because this is why’ ... And I’ll tell you what, Tom listened.”
When Wilfork was drafted by the Patriots in 2004, Vrabel and Brady had already forged a strong bond in New England, having won two championships together.
And as a rookie, Wilfork was quick to pick up on Vrabel’s vibe. He got the sense the Patriots defensive star was “destined” to be a coach just based on some of those memorable interactions with Brady.
Listening to Vrabel trade verbal haymakers with the Patriots resident superstar was must-see viewing, according to Wilfork.
Perhaps that shouldn’t come as a surprise, as that side of Vrabel has also been on display in recent weeks, first calling out a reporter for repeating a question that was just asked, wondering if he was “in a coma,” then taking a jab at the team’s radio analyst Scott Zolak prior to the Patriots preseason finale against the Giants for delivering fake news.
Add in Vrabel’s post-game remarks about wanting to smoke out the “rats” in the organization who leak stories, and it’s a pattern.
Vrabel clearly enjoys butting heads with whoever’s in his path. He loves ribbing people in a playful, sarcastic manner.
If Brady was in his crosshairs, even better.
He’s never been shy about digging in his heels against the GOAT or anyone else especially if he thinks he’s right.
“He would tell Tom straight up: ‘That won’t work. I guarantee you, Tom,’'’ Wilfork said. ”And they would go back and forth.”
Wilfork believes Brady ultimately took whatever Vrabel said to heart because he respected the former Ohio State star that much, and how he saw the game.
One time, according to Wilfork, Vrabel jumped in with the scout team ahead of a game against the Baltimore Ravens. Wilfork remembered Vrabel taking on the role of Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed, and did his best to give Brady a reasonable facsimile of the Ravens defense, and how it operated.
“He ran the defense like Ed Reed,” Wilfork said. “So I remember him and Tom going back and forth. Tom’s like: ‘He’s not going to do that.’ Vrabel’s like: ‘Yes the eff he will. I guarantee he will.’ And they’re going back and forth, really going at it. But I’ll tell you, that’s the best look Tom had (of the Ravens defense).’'’
Whatever Vrabel preached to Brady would be backed up and supported by Bill Belichick, who would show on film exactly what Vrabel was talking about. He’d show the very play that Vrabel highlighted, doubling down on the Patriots quarterback.
“From that, you could see the dynamic of the relationship between Tom and Mike, and how it grew,” Wilfork said. “Tom trusted him.”
Before long, it wasn’t unusual to see Brady and Vrabel huddled on the sideline, chatting during games after an offensive series. And Wilfork would try to listen in, the proverbial fly on the wall.
“He’ll tell you what he believes in, and if you don’t want to listen, ‘Eff you.’ I love that about him,” Wilfork said of his former teammate. “He’s going to stand on his sword, if that’s what it takes. He’s just a tough son-of-a-gun. But he knows what he’s doing.”
That’s also the hope with Vrabel taking control, and rebuilding the Patriots following the departures of Belichick and then Jerod Mayo after back-to-back 4-13 seasons.
Wilfork, who still keeps tabs on his former team, said football “came easy” to Vrabel. It was second nature. That was another indicator of where he was headed.
“I always knew he was going to be a coach, even when I played with him,” Wilfork said of his fellow Patriots Hall of Famer. “What he demands as a player, you can tell, he was destined. It’s in him. How he deals with people, how he deals with situations. How he handled the game, how he thinks.”
When Wilfork was in Houston, Vrabel was also with the Texans first as linebackers coach, then defensive coordinator.
“As a teammate, I loved Mike Vrabel,” Wilfork said. “I’d run through a wall for him.”
The sentiment still applies today.
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