October 25, 2023 • 12 mins
Matt Smith and Paul Perillo sit down with newly inducted Patriots Hall of Famer Mike Vrabel. Listen in for his thoughts coming back to Foxboro for his induction, his ability to “give it back” to Coach Belichick, and some interesting comments on where he thought the 2007 team failed to finish the job. All this and more.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
It's time now for another episode of Patch from the
Past podcast, Matt Smith and polp Row joined by the
newest member of the Patriots Hall of Fame.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Mike Rabel and boy for two people.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
I know you'd think we're going to be byes U,
but we were on the table, Mike pounding every single.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Year, give rabel in, get rabel in. Finally year in.
What was the experience like for you yesterday? Like, well,
it was amazing it just to come up and the
reception that we received, my family received, that I received
from the first of all the fans that were here
in the rain, and again I know that I wish
that we could have had the fans, but we didn't.
(00:41):
I think it was an intimate reception, just a lot
of emotion. I don't think I've given myself a chance
to just to go back and reflect on that, on
the eight years here and the success and the teammates,
and I think that was probably the coolest thing was
to see them and see Dante and be able to
(01:02):
you know, just catch up and you know, just see
how excited everybody is for you.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Can we go back to the start of that eight
years and you know, sort of run us through your
free agent visit here. We've heard a lot of stories
about how it's not overly glamorous when.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Line that they wind and Dinahim at the ground round.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
I don't know if you were. I was with Anthony
Pleasant and so we probably got a little nicer experience.
I think we actually went to the Capitol Grill in
just nut Hill. Yeah, so because I think Bill had
had history with with Anthony Pleasant, so he was probably like, well,
let me take Anthony for for a nice meal. And
(01:43):
but it was just you know, visit at the stadium
in old Foxboro Stadium. And you know, again this isn't
These aren't recruiting trips. These are trips to to make
sure that you know, this is the player that we
want to target, and the player can ask questions and
get information and then make a decision. And so didn't
have a whole lot of options, and this one was certainly,
(02:05):
you know, you know, the best one for me.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Do you you said yesterday during your speech that it
was important for you to start. You know, in four
years you did a lot, but you wanted to start.
Did you get a sense maybe on that visit or
early on Mike that these guys had a good idea.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Of how to use you. Well. I can remember having
a conversation with Bill and him saying, hey, really, all
we need is what you did in that preseason game
last year against Miami. And I'm thinking I don't even
remember playing Miami in the preseason. But Bill had gone
back and he had watched and there were clips that
he must have seen that there was a vision for
(02:43):
probably an extended playtime at that point in time in
the preseason or whatever it was. And so then I
started thinking, Okay, well, at least you know they have
an idea of how they want to use me or
what I maybe able to do there. Bill had talked
about the opportunity, not guaranteeing anything, but saying that there
(03:03):
would be a spot at you know, available pretty much
at outside linebacker where you know, they would have some
other players to compete with, and then see where things were.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
When you look at the way your years unfolded, it's
almost like it was a perfect system for you. I mean,
did you catch that right away, like they really want
to use me exactly.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
To well, I don't think I wasn't being misused in Pittsburgh.
I had just transitioned from a couple of different positions,
you know, was rotating in and was getting some playing
time three and four years in special teams and third
down packages, whatever that may be. But this was a
new opportunity, some carryover from Pittsburgh, some different and then
(03:47):
as things progressed and it was you know, learn this position. Actually,
I think I played two seasons inside linebacker or a
season and a half at some point in time, and
you'll find myself at different spots, do you.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
I've heard this from many ex players, guys who you
played with and everything like that. Were you able to
get away with more as far as like maybe busting.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Bill's Paul, Well, I don't know. I think the time
is is that overrated? No, I don't think it's overrated.
I think that there is. Like I said yesterday, I
think I said things that everybody wanted to say, and
I probably was just dumb enough to say it. I
sometimes say the quiet part out loud sometimes unfortunately.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
But it's all timing and sometimes you know it. You know,
it's it's a it's a turn to punch bowl and
doesn't always work, but sometimes it works out pretty good.
But but that takes a little bit of time and
it takes you know, again, you have to be willing
to take it and if you want to give it.
And I think that Bill always was very conscious of that,
(04:48):
whether that's players to Bill or Bill to us. You know,
he knew that, you know, we had to sit there
and and take it when we got the low lights
and you know, we'd be on the bellustrator and it
would be like, you know, what we can't do? And
so it just it was a good situation with a
bunch of really good teammates that that all kind of
rallied behind that.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Do you think maybe, I mean, you were able to
back it up with you play though, Mike, I don't
know if if that's a fifty third or fifty fourth
guy that was trying to crack wise, it might be different. Well,
you you were a community eye on all three phases
of the game.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Yeah, I mean, but I think that that's what makes
a locker room. It's just different personalities. Again, you have
to perform on the field and then whatever your personality is.
I think that was there was no restrictions on Hey,
we can just want a bunch of robots. That's I
think that was the impression that everybody had and we
(05:40):
certainly weren't that. Well.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
The best thing about Mike, and I told you this
a million times, Mike didn't care who he was busting on.
Professional I used to call you a professional ballbuster.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
That's what you were.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
I'd come in with like a TV shirt on one
day and you go, look at this fraud. He's got
TV and it didn't matter. He treated all of us
the same, And I think that's probably permeated the locker
and guarded respect in that way.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
Well, again, I think the fact that if you have
a relationship with somebody, I think that's when you kind
of go back and forth with them. It's like having
a nickname. You don't have a nickname, you know, there's
no such thing as a bad nickname. Just be appreciative
that you have a nickname. That means that they know
who you are and that you're kind of a part
of the group. And if you don't have a nickname,
you know, you better try to figure out why. And
(06:24):
so it was, whether it was a relationship with the media,
you know, it was a two way street. Assistant coaches
and certainly teammates. Much has been made.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
You played in a different era, believe it or not,
where and as during your career, the league was starting
to legislate against defenses hard hitting and everything like that.
When you look back at the Warner play Ties interception,
I just thought it was very generous of Tie to
give you credit yesterday to are you going to get
flagged for that if that play happens today?
Speaker 4 (06:54):
Do?
Speaker 2 (06:55):
I don't know. I mean, I think that what we've
talked about is matching the hand, and they've they've they've
changed here in the last year or two about what's forcible. Hell,
I don't know, you know what I mean, I should
have gotten there sooner, to be honest with. They didn't
block me. It was just a lucky play and tied
it all the work. And but whether it's you know,
as long as it's not forcible. You know, we've talked
about matching a hand and same thing that they teach
(07:18):
here and you know everybody else is trying to teach.
And didn't hit the football. I'm glad that I did
it so that Ty was able to catch it and score.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Can we ask you a little bit about tight end too,
and just sort of how that transition, how did it
come about?
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Who's Who's I. I think Drew put it best yesterday.
I had a bunch of energy and it'd show up
three hours before the game and go out on the
field and Drew it would be out warming up and
I would start running routes and he'd say, well, this
is this is one, this is two, this is three,
four or five. Run this, you know, different routes and
I'd run him on the right. We'd flip around and
(07:52):
run him on the left, and then I'd go inside
and wait for the game. And he must have had
a conversation. Charlie was outside and said, hey, this guy
could probably do this, and we had it in. We
used it finally in the Chargers game in San Diego. Scored,
(08:14):
we lost the game, so it did not get much attention,
and then kind of snowballed from there. Whether we had
two tight ends active or three, sometimes that that third
tight end was never very happy when we got down
to the goal line. And you know, so those tight
ends probably hated the fact that I would go in
(08:35):
there at times.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Drew never got a chance to do that on the field.
Tom came in, Mike, was there a time that you
can think of? We remember, like you guys. The defense
carried that team in OH one, for sure, no doubt
about it, no disgrace.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
But do you.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
Remember time you said, you know what, this kid might
have something? Not obviously nobody saw where he was going
to wind up, but do you remember a time where
you said, you know what, this kid might have something.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
I don't know specifically. It's just hard for me to
to think back, you know, the two minute drive in
the Super Bowl, and I just it's just hard for me.
I just remember, his leadership is competitiveness. That that's what
I enjoyed at practice, in the building, his work ethic,
(09:19):
you know, I would always see it me. I mean,
this guy was you know, he was powerlifting in the
weight room. It wasn't you know the pliability that we
saw later on. I mean this this guy was in
there working and trying to train and get stronger, and
he knew that he needed to develop and he needed
to be a stronger player. That's what I recognized. I said,
then this guy's in here is squatting and power cleaning,
(09:40):
and you know, he's training differently than I think most
quarterbacks in the NFL would be.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
At that time, when you had that streak, that winning
three out of four. I mean, obviously winning back to
back hasn't been done since.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
You know, do you look back at that.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
And appreciate just how special it was and what does
it mean to you to be part of those teams?
Speaker 2 (10:02):
Well? I think that I don't look back enough. I don't.
But we expected to win, you know, I mean we did.
We We we had a feeling about us that when
we each week, it was like, Okay, what's the game
plan going to be and how are we going to win?
And we expected to win? And that is a you know,
that's a powerful mindset to be in. Now, we didn't
(10:25):
win every game, but you know, rarely did did we
you know, were we out of a game? Or did
we think that we weren't going to be able to
compete in each game?
Speaker 3 (10:35):
Really quick, when you talk about we expected to win,
I want to ask you about seven two and just
that mindset. Did did you feel like maybe you lost
some of the enjoyment because you guys were so good
and expected to.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Never lost the enjoyment. I just don't know if we
continue to improve. And that was the thing that I'll
try to explain and I always try to explain, is
that the Giants improved, you know, they were a wild
card team and they they gave us everything that that
we had at the end of the season, and then
they went on their playoff run, and we just we
never improved. We were good, we were really good. I
(11:08):
we just never improved, probably as the year went on.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Last one here, as we'll wrap things up, you said
you don't have time to really look back, and you
don't because you're always on to the next practice, the
next game.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
And everything like that.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
Do you get a sense and I think you'll get
a little bit better since maybe at halftime today, do
you get a sense how much this region has embraced you,
like even though the fact you're coming here and kick
their ass a couple of times, but they do. And
I think even while you're with the opposition, they remember
you for those eight years here.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
I'm gonna probably realize that today, but I don't think
I did. I haven't been back. I mean, honestly, I
said that yesterday two thousand and nine. You get a
call being traded to the Chiefs and have been back
this I think maybe my fifth time. So just have
not been back to this stadium to this just had
(11:59):
a different after I left here, and I am excited
just the people that I've already seen from yesterday and today,
and uh, you know, it's just the people that are
at work here that come up and have already said
hello and congratulations, and so I'm very appreciate you guys,
(12:20):
really appreciate it. Thank you for downloading this podcast.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
Subscribe on Apple, Google Play, and everywhere else you listen.
Like the show, Please rate and review us. Listener comments
and ratings help keep us high on the podcast rankings
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Patriots dot com for more news and more podcasts
It's time now for another episode of Patch from the
Past podcast, Matt Smith and polp Row joined by the
newest member of the Patriots Hall of Fame.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Mike Rabel and boy for two people.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
I know you'd think we're going to be byes U,
but we were on the table, Mike pounding every single.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Year, give rabel in, get rabel in. Finally year in.
What was the experience like for you yesterday? Like, well,
it was amazing it just to come up and the
reception that we received, my family received, that I received
from the first of all the fans that were here
in the rain, and again I know that I wish
that we could have had the fans, but we didn't.
(00:41):
I think it was an intimate reception, just a lot
of emotion. I don't think I've given myself a chance
to just to go back and reflect on that, on
the eight years here and the success and the teammates,
and I think that was probably the coolest thing was
to see them and see Dante and be able to
(01:02):
you know, just catch up and you know, just see
how excited everybody is for you.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Can we go back to the start of that eight
years and you know, sort of run us through your
free agent visit here. We've heard a lot of stories
about how it's not overly glamorous when.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Line that they wind and Dinahim at the ground round.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
I don't know if you were. I was with Anthony
Pleasant and so we probably got a little nicer experience.
I think we actually went to the Capitol Grill in
just nut Hill. Yeah, so because I think Bill had
had history with with Anthony Pleasant, so he was probably like, well,
let me take Anthony for for a nice meal. And
(01:43):
but it was just you know, visit at the stadium
in old Foxboro Stadium. And you know, again this isn't
These aren't recruiting trips. These are trips to to make
sure that you know, this is the player that we
want to target, and the player can ask questions and
get information and then make a decision. And so didn't
have a whole lot of options, and this one was certainly,
(02:05):
you know, you know, the best one for me.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Do you you said yesterday during your speech that it
was important for you to start. You know, in four
years you did a lot, but you wanted to start.
Did you get a sense maybe on that visit or
early on Mike that these guys had a good idea.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Of how to use you. Well. I can remember having
a conversation with Bill and him saying, hey, really, all
we need is what you did in that preseason game
last year against Miami. And I'm thinking I don't even
remember playing Miami in the preseason. But Bill had gone
back and he had watched and there were clips that
he must have seen that there was a vision for
(02:43):
probably an extended playtime at that point in time in
the preseason or whatever it was. And so then I
started thinking, Okay, well, at least you know they have
an idea of how they want to use me or
what I maybe able to do there. Bill had talked
about the opportunity, not guaranteeing anything, but saying that there
(03:03):
would be a spot at you know, available pretty much
at outside linebacker where you know, they would have some
other players to compete with, and then see where things were.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
When you look at the way your years unfolded, it's
almost like it was a perfect system for you. I mean,
did you catch that right away, like they really want
to use me exactly.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
To well, I don't think I wasn't being misused in Pittsburgh.
I had just transitioned from a couple of different positions,
you know, was rotating in and was getting some playing
time three and four years in special teams and third
down packages, whatever that may be. But this was a
new opportunity, some carryover from Pittsburgh, some different and then
(03:47):
as things progressed and it was you know, learn this position. Actually,
I think I played two seasons inside linebacker or a
season and a half at some point in time, and
you'll find myself at different spots, do you.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
I've heard this from many ex players, guys who you
played with and everything like that. Were you able to
get away with more as far as like maybe busting.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Bill's Paul, Well, I don't know. I think the time
is is that overrated? No, I don't think it's overrated.
I think that there is. Like I said yesterday, I
think I said things that everybody wanted to say, and
I probably was just dumb enough to say it. I
sometimes say the quiet part out loud sometimes unfortunately.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
But it's all timing and sometimes you know it. You know,
it's it's a it's a turn to punch bowl and
doesn't always work, but sometimes it works out pretty good.
But but that takes a little bit of time and
it takes you know, again, you have to be willing
to take it and if you want to give it.
And I think that Bill always was very conscious of that,
(04:48):
whether that's players to Bill or Bill to us. You know,
he knew that, you know, we had to sit there
and and take it when we got the low lights
and you know, we'd be on the bellustrator and it
would be like, you know, what we can't do? And
so it just it was a good situation with a
bunch of really good teammates that that all kind of
rallied behind that.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Do you think maybe, I mean, you were able to
back it up with you play though, Mike, I don't
know if if that's a fifty third or fifty fourth
guy that was trying to crack wise, it might be different. Well,
you you were a community eye on all three phases
of the game.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Yeah, I mean, but I think that that's what makes
a locker room. It's just different personalities. Again, you have
to perform on the field and then whatever your personality is.
I think that was there was no restrictions on Hey,
we can just want a bunch of robots. That's I
think that was the impression that everybody had and we
(05:40):
certainly weren't that. Well.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
The best thing about Mike, and I told you this
a million times, Mike didn't care who he was busting on.
Professional I used to call you a professional ballbuster.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
That's what you were.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
I'd come in with like a TV shirt on one
day and you go, look at this fraud. He's got
TV and it didn't matter. He treated all of us
the same, And I think that's probably permeated the locker
and guarded respect in that way.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
Well, again, I think the fact that if you have
a relationship with somebody, I think that's when you kind
of go back and forth with them. It's like having
a nickname. You don't have a nickname, you know, there's
no such thing as a bad nickname. Just be appreciative
that you have a nickname. That means that they know
who you are and that you're kind of a part
of the group. And if you don't have a nickname,
you know, you better try to figure out why. And
(06:24):
so it was, whether it was a relationship with the media,
you know, it was a two way street. Assistant coaches
and certainly teammates. Much has been made.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
You played in a different era, believe it or not,
where and as during your career, the league was starting
to legislate against defenses hard hitting and everything like that.
When you look back at the Warner play Ties interception,
I just thought it was very generous of Tie to
give you credit yesterday to are you going to get
flagged for that if that play happens today?
Speaker 4 (06:54):
Do?
Speaker 2 (06:55):
I don't know. I mean, I think that what we've
talked about is matching the hand, and they've they've they've
changed here in the last year or two about what's forcible. Hell,
I don't know, you know what I mean, I should
have gotten there sooner, to be honest with. They didn't
block me. It was just a lucky play and tied
it all the work. And but whether it's you know,
as long as it's not forcible. You know, we've talked
about matching a hand and same thing that they teach
(07:18):
here and you know everybody else is trying to teach.
And didn't hit the football. I'm glad that I did
it so that Ty was able to catch it and score.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Can we ask you a little bit about tight end too,
and just sort of how that transition, how did it
come about?
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Who's Who's I. I think Drew put it best yesterday.
I had a bunch of energy and it'd show up
three hours before the game and go out on the
field and Drew it would be out warming up and
I would start running routes and he'd say, well, this
is this is one, this is two, this is three,
four or five. Run this, you know, different routes and
I'd run him on the right. We'd flip around and
(07:52):
run him on the left, and then I'd go inside
and wait for the game. And he must have had
a conversation. Charlie was outside and said, hey, this guy
could probably do this, and we had it in. We
used it finally in the Chargers game in San Diego. Scored,
(08:14):
we lost the game, so it did not get much attention,
and then kind of snowballed from there. Whether we had
two tight ends active or three, sometimes that that third
tight end was never very happy when we got down
to the goal line. And you know, so those tight
ends probably hated the fact that I would go in
(08:35):
there at times.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Drew never got a chance to do that on the field.
Tom came in, Mike, was there a time that you
can think of? We remember, like you guys. The defense
carried that team in OH one, for sure, no doubt
about it, no disgrace.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
But do you.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
Remember time you said, you know what, this kid might
have something? Not obviously nobody saw where he was going
to wind up, but do you remember a time where
you said, you know what, this kid might have something.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
I don't know specifically. It's just hard for me to
to think back, you know, the two minute drive in
the Super Bowl, and I just it's just hard for me.
I just remember, his leadership is competitiveness. That that's what
I enjoyed at practice, in the building, his work ethic,
(09:19):
you know, I would always see it me. I mean,
this guy was you know, he was powerlifting in the
weight room. It wasn't you know the pliability that we
saw later on. I mean this this guy was in
there working and trying to train and get stronger, and
he knew that he needed to develop and he needed
to be a stronger player. That's what I recognized. I said,
then this guy's in here is squatting and power cleaning,
(09:40):
and you know, he's training differently than I think most
quarterbacks in the NFL would be.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
At that time, when you had that streak, that winning
three out of four. I mean, obviously winning back to
back hasn't been done since.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
You know, do you look back at that.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
And appreciate just how special it was and what does
it mean to you to be part of those teams?
Speaker 2 (10:02):
Well? I think that I don't look back enough. I don't.
But we expected to win, you know, I mean we did.
We We we had a feeling about us that when
we each week, it was like, Okay, what's the game
plan going to be and how are we going to win?
And we expected to win? And that is a you know,
that's a powerful mindset to be in. Now, we didn't
(10:25):
win every game, but you know, rarely did did we
you know, were we out of a game? Or did
we think that we weren't going to be able to
compete in each game?
Speaker 3 (10:35):
Really quick, when you talk about we expected to win,
I want to ask you about seven two and just
that mindset. Did did you feel like maybe you lost
some of the enjoyment because you guys were so good
and expected to.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Never lost the enjoyment. I just don't know if we
continue to improve. And that was the thing that I'll
try to explain and I always try to explain, is
that the Giants improved, you know, they were a wild
card team and they they gave us everything that that
we had at the end of the season, and then
they went on their playoff run, and we just we
never improved. We were good, we were really good. I
(11:08):
we just never improved, probably as the year went on.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Last one here, as we'll wrap things up, you said
you don't have time to really look back, and you
don't because you're always on to the next practice, the
next game.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
And everything like that.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
Do you get a sense and I think you'll get
a little bit better since maybe at halftime today, do
you get a sense how much this region has embraced you,
like even though the fact you're coming here and kick
their ass a couple of times, but they do. And
I think even while you're with the opposition, they remember
you for those eight years here.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
I'm gonna probably realize that today, but I don't think
I did. I haven't been back. I mean, honestly, I
said that yesterday two thousand and nine. You get a
call being traded to the Chiefs and have been back
this I think maybe my fifth time. So just have
not been back to this stadium to this just had
(11:59):
a different after I left here, and I am excited
just the people that I've already seen from yesterday and today,
and uh, you know, it's just the people that are
at work here that come up and have already said
hello and congratulations, and so I'm very appreciate you guys,
(12:20):
really appreciate it. Thank you for downloading this podcast.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
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