Mike Vrabel
Encyclopedia
Michael George "Mike" Vrabel (ˈvreɪbəl; born August 14, 1975) is an assistant coach at Ohio State
. He is a retired American football
linebacker
in the National Football League
. Vrabel spent 14 seasons in the NFL, having played for the Pittsburgh Steelers
, New England Patriots
and most recently, the Kansas City Chiefs
. Prior to his pro football career, Vrabel played college football
at Ohio State
, where he was a teammate of current head coach Luke Fickell
. A very versatile player in the NFL Vrabel could line up at the Tight End position as a playmaker, despite being a Linebacker.
in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
, Vrabel played defensive end
at Ohio State
. He was named to the Ohio State Football All-Century Team
.
Due to Vrabel having played at Ohio State, and former Patriots teammate Tom Brady
having played for the Buckeyes' arch-rival
, Michigan
, the two players make an annual wager over the outcome of the yearly meeting between the two schools.
Vrabel finished his career at Ohio State by being named the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year in both 1995 and 1996, becoming only the second player to ever win the award twice (Wendell Bryant/Wisconsin).
.
He spent the first four seasons of his career in Pittsburgh. His most notable play as a Steeler came in his rookie season, when he sacked
Drew Bledsoe
in the 1997-98 AFC Divisional Playoffs to clinch a 7-6 win for the Steelers. Nevertheless, Vrabel was a backup for the Steelers throughout his tenure there, and had considered retiring from the NFL before he signed with the Patriots.
At the end of Vrabel's tenure with the Steelers, it had mostly been an issue with the numbers game at linebacker, as the Steelers had veterans Jason Gildon
and Earl Holmes
firmly in as the starters as well as the emergence of Joey Porter
at the position. Before leaving for New England, Steelers head coach Bill Cowher
told Vrabel that while he believed Vrabel would be a starter in the NFL, he would not be a starter with the Steelers. Vrabel has since credited Cowher for his decision not to retire and sign with the Patriots.
Vrabel exemplified the versatility sought by Patriots head coach Bill Belichick
: in addition to his work as a linebacker, Vrabel frequently checked in as a tight end
in short-yardage situations, which makes him an eligible receiver
. Belichick took advantage of this in Super Bowl XXXVIII
: in the fourth quarter, Tom Brady threw a 2-yard touchdown
pass to Vrabel, making Vrabel the first defensive player to score a Super Bowl touchdown on offense since William "Refrigerator" Perry did so for the Chicago Bears
against the Patriots in Super Bowl XX
in 1986. Vrabel was one of the defensive stars in that game as well; he had two sacks (one forcing a fumble) of Carolina's
Jake Delhomme
, and was a contender for the Super Bowl MVP
award that went to Brady.
Despite Brady's penchant for throwing to Vrabel in such situations, teams are often unable to cover Vrabel properly: in Super Bowl XXXIX
, Vrabel caught a 2-yard touchdown pass, despite being held by Philadelphia's Jevon Kearse
; that catch is pictured on the cover of the 2005 NFL Record and Fact Book. The reception makes him one of 17 players to catch two or more touchdown passes in Super Bowls.
As of October 2009, Vrabel has had eleven career receptions, and all for 1- or 2-yard touchdowns (one in 2002, two in 2004, three in 2005, and two in 2007 in the regular season, and one each in Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXXIX) with the Patriots and one in 2009 with the Chiefs (thrown by former Patriot Matt Cassel). According to the website Cold Hard Football Facts, no other player in NFL history has as good a record of converting receptions to touchdowns. His versatility was good enough for NFL Network
to rank him #7 on their Top 10 episode of the Greatest Versatile Players.
In week 8 of the 2007 season, Mike Vrabel forced 3 fumbles, had 3 sacks, recovered an onside kick
, and scored an offensive touchdown against the Washington Redskins
, for which he was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week. In December 2007 he was selected to the Pro Bowl
for the first time, as a starter; in January 2008 he was named to the NFL All-Pro
team.
On December 26, 2005, on the final Monday Night Football
game on ABC, Vrabel became, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, the first player—since the official recording of sacks began in 1982—to have two touchdown catches and a sack in the same game.
Vrabel was also key in the final game of the 2007 regular season when he recovered an onside kick, thereby sealing a perfect 16-0 season for the Patriots.
Though right outside linebacker had been Vrabel's primary position in the Patriots' 3-4 scheme
in his first four seasons with New England, in 2005 Vrabel moved to inside linebacker, because of the limited effectiveness of inside backers Monty Beisel
and Chad Brown, although he had never before played inside in the NFL. By the time Tedy Bruschi had returned from injury, he and Vrabel were the two men starting inside. Rosevelt Colvin
successfully filled Vrabel's old spot, and many cite the change in positions as a major contributor to the Patriots' rebound in the second half of the season. Vrabel moved inside again late in the 2006 season, after Junior Seau
broke his arm.
for an undisclosed draft pick. The following day it was revealed that Patriots traded both Vrabel and Matt Cassel
in exchange for the Chiefs' second-round pick (#34 overall) in the 2009 NFL Draft
. Mike Vrabel retired from football in early July 2011 to join the Ohio State Buckeyes coaching staff.
Vrabel founded the "Mike's Second and Seven Foundation" with Ohio State teammates Ryan Miller and Luke Fickell
to promote literacy in the Ohio area. He and his wife have also donated to several charities.
In March 2011, Vrabel was arrested and charged with a Class D felony for theft at an Indiana casino. According to reports from Kansas City television station KMBC and ProFootballTalk.com, the incident involved eight bottles of beer at a deli in the Belterra Casino
. Vrabel was released after posting $600 bond.
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
. He is a retired American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. Vrabel spent 14 seasons in the NFL, having played for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
, New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
and most recently, the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
. Prior to his pro football career, Vrabel played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
, where he was a teammate of current head coach Luke Fickell
Luke Fickell
-External links:*...
. A very versatile player in the NFL Vrabel could line up at the Tight End position as a playmaker, despite being a Linebacker.
College career
After attending Walsh Jesuit High SchoolWalsh Jesuit High School
Walsh Jesuit High School is a private, Jesuit high school in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Founded in 1965, the school was funded by a gift from and named after Cornelius and Jane Walsh. It has been recognized fifty times as a Green Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S...
in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 49,374 people, 21,655 households, and 13,317 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,932.9 people per square mile . There were 22,727 housing units at an average density of 889.7 per square mile...
, Vrabel played defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
at Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
. He was named to the Ohio State Football All-Century Team
Ohio State Football All-Century Team
The Ohio State Football All-Century Team was chosen in early 2000 by the Touchdown Club of Columbus. It was selected to honor the greatest Ohio State Buckeyes football players of the 20th century...
.
Due to Vrabel having played at Ohio State, and former Patriots teammate Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
having played for the Buckeyes' arch-rival
Michigan-Ohio State rivalry
The Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry, also known as The Game, is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Wolverines of the University of Michigan and the Buckeyes of The Ohio State University...
, Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
, the two players make an annual wager over the outcome of the yearly meeting between the two schools.
Vrabel finished his career at Ohio State by being named the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year in both 1995 and 1996, becoming only the second player to ever win the award twice (Wendell Bryant/Wisconsin).
Pittsburgh Steelers
Vrabel was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round (91st overall) of the 1997 NFL Draft1997 NFL Draft
The 1997 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 19–20, 1997. No teams elected to claim any players in the supplemental draft that...
.
He spent the first four seasons of his career in Pittsburgh. His most notable play as a Steeler came in his rookie season, when he sacked
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
Drew Bledsoe
Drew Bledsoe
Drew McQueen Bledsoe is a former football quarterback in the National Football League, best known as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots from 1993-2001. During the 1990s, he was considered the face of the Patriots franchise...
in the 1997-98 AFC Divisional Playoffs to clinch a 7-6 win for the Steelers. Nevertheless, Vrabel was a backup for the Steelers throughout his tenure there, and had considered retiring from the NFL before he signed with the Patriots.
At the end of Vrabel's tenure with the Steelers, it had mostly been an issue with the numbers game at linebacker, as the Steelers had veterans Jason Gildon
Jason Gildon
Jason Larue Gildon is a former linebacker for the National Football League's Pittsburgh Steelers and Jacksonville Jaguars . He was selected to three Pro Bowl teams from 2000, 2001, and 2002, and is currently the Steelers all-time career sacks leader with 77.0 quarterback take-downs...
and Earl Holmes
Earl Holmes
Earl Holmes is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 4th round of the 1996 NFL Draft 126th overall out of Florida A&M University. While attending Florida A&M, Holmes became a member of the Alpha Xi chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity in the...
firmly in as the starters as well as the emergence of Joey Porter
Joey Porter
Joseph "Joey" Eugene Porter is an American football linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Colorado State.A four-time Pro Bowl selection, Porter earned a...
at the position. Before leaving for New England, Steelers head coach Bill Cowher
Bill Cowher
William Laird "Bill" Cowher is a former American football coach and player. Cowher resigned after 15 seasons as the Steelers' coach on January 5, 2007, 11 months to the day after winning 2005–06's Super Bowl XL...
told Vrabel that while he believed Vrabel would be a starter in the NFL, he would not be a starter with the Steelers. Vrabel has since credited Cowher for his decision not to retire and sign with the Patriots.
New England Patriots
Almost immediately upon joining the Patriots, Vrabel became a major player in their defense: he played in every game his first season in New England, starting 12.Vrabel exemplified the versatility sought by Patriots head coach Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick
William Stephen "Bill" Belichick is an American football head coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. After spending his first 15 seasons in the league as an assistant coach, Belichick got his first head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns in 1991...
: in addition to his work as a linebacker, Vrabel frequently checked in as a tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
in short-yardage situations, which makes him an eligible receiver
Eligible receiver
In American football and Canadian football, not all players on offense are entitled to receive a forward pass. Only an eligible pass receiver may legally catch a forward pass, and only an eligible receiver may advance beyond the neutral zone if a forward pass which crosses the neutral zone is thrown...
. Belichick took advantage of this in Super Bowl XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game played on February 1, 2004 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 2003 regular season....
: in the fourth quarter, Tom Brady threw a 2-yard touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
pass to Vrabel, making Vrabel the first defensive player to score a Super Bowl touchdown on offense since William "Refrigerator" Perry did so for the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
against the Patriots in Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX was an American football championship game played on January 26, 1986 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1985 regular season...
in 1986. Vrabel was one of the defensive stars in that game as well; he had two sacks (one forcing a fumble) of Carolina's
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
Jake Delhomme
Jake Delhomme
Jake Christopher Delhomme is an American football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. Delhomme played college football at Louisiana-Lafayette before being signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 1997...
, and was a contender for the Super Bowl MVP
Super Bowl MVP
The Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award, or Super Bowl MVP, is an award presented annually to the most valuable player of the Super Bowl, the National Football League's championship game. The winner is chosen by a fan vote during the game and by a panel of 16 American football writers and...
award that went to Brady.
Despite Brady's penchant for throwing to Vrabel in such situations, teams are often unable to cover Vrabel properly: in Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 2004 regular season...
, Vrabel caught a 2-yard touchdown pass, despite being held by Philadelphia's Jevon Kearse
Jevon Kearse
Jevon Kearse , nicknamed "The Freak," is a former American college and professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League for eleven seasons during the late 1990s and 2000s...
; that catch is pictured on the cover of the 2005 NFL Record and Fact Book. The reception makes him one of 17 players to catch two or more touchdown passes in Super Bowls.
As of October 2009, Vrabel has had eleven career receptions, and all for 1- or 2-yard touchdowns (one in 2002, two in 2004, three in 2005, and two in 2007 in the regular season, and one each in Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXXIX) with the Patriots and one in 2009 with the Chiefs (thrown by former Patriot Matt Cassel). According to the website Cold Hard Football Facts, no other player in NFL history has as good a record of converting receptions to touchdowns. His versatility was good enough for NFL Network
NFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
to rank him #7 on their Top 10 episode of the Greatest Versatile Players.
In week 8 of the 2007 season, Mike Vrabel forced 3 fumbles, had 3 sacks, recovered an onside kick
Onside kick
In American and Canadian football, an onside kick is a type of kick used at a kickoff or other free kick, or scrimmage kick or other kick during play, in which the ball is kicked favorably for the kicking team to avoid giving away the ball...
, and scored an offensive touchdown against the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, for which he was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week. In December 2007 he was selected to the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
for the first time, as a starter; in January 2008 he was named to the NFL All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
team.
On December 26, 2005, on the final Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
game on ABC, Vrabel became, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, the first player—since the official recording of sacks began in 1982—to have two touchdown catches and a sack in the same game.
Vrabel was also key in the final game of the 2007 regular season when he recovered an onside kick, thereby sealing a perfect 16-0 season for the Patriots.
Though right outside linebacker had been Vrabel's primary position in the Patriots' 3-4 scheme
New England Patriots strategy
The New England Patriots employ a variety of strategies during play. Since the arrival of head coach Bill Belichick in 2000, the Patriots have utilized an "Erhardt-Perkins" offense and a "Fairbanks-Bullough" 3-4 defense, referred to commonly as a 2-gap 3-4 defensive system.However, in 2011, the...
in his first four seasons with New England, in 2005 Vrabel moved to inside linebacker, because of the limited effectiveness of inside backers Monty Beisel
Monty Beisel
Monty Beisel is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
and Chad Brown, although he had never before played inside in the NFL. By the time Tedy Bruschi had returned from injury, he and Vrabel were the two men starting inside. Rosevelt Colvin
Rosevelt Colvin
Rosevelt Colvin, III is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. Drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft, he played college football at Purdue....
successfully filled Vrabel's old spot, and many cite the change in positions as a major contributor to the Patriots' rebound in the second half of the season. Vrabel moved inside again late in the 2006 season, after Junior Seau
Junior Seau
Tiaina Baul "Junior" Seau is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted fifth overall by the San Diego Chargers during the 1990 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Southern California and was the progenitor of the "NFL-USC linebacker".A ten-time All-Pro and...
broke his arm.
Kansas City Chiefs
On February 27, 2009, the Patriots traded Vrabel, who was in the last year of his contract, to the Kansas City ChiefsKansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
for an undisclosed draft pick. The following day it was revealed that Patriots traded both Vrabel and Matt Cassel
Matt Cassel
Matthew Brennan "Matt" Cassel is a quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
in exchange for the Chiefs' second-round pick (#34 overall) in the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
. Mike Vrabel retired from football in early July 2011 to join the Ohio State Buckeyes coaching staff.
Coaching career
Vrabel retired from professional football after 14 seasons on July 10, 2011. He has joined his alma mater of Ohio State as linebackers coach.Personal
Vrabel is married to his wife Jen, and they have two sons, Tyler and Carter.Vrabel founded the "Mike's Second and Seven Foundation" with Ohio State teammates Ryan Miller and Luke Fickell
Luke Fickell
-External links:*...
to promote literacy in the Ohio area. He and his wife have also donated to several charities.
In March 2011, Vrabel was arrested and charged with a Class D felony for theft at an Indiana casino. According to reports from Kansas City television station KMBC and ProFootballTalk.com, the incident involved eight bottles of beer at a deli in the Belterra Casino
Belterra Casino Resort & Spa
Belterra Casino Resort & Spa is a riverboat casino operated by Pinnacle Entertainment. It is located in Switzerland County, Indiana near Florence, roughly halfway between the large cities of Louisville, Kentucky and Cincinnati, Ohio. Due to state law gambling operations are on a riverboat which is...
. Vrabel was released after posting $600 bond.