'Half Of Them' Don't Know Vrabel Played In The NFL

Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel is positive that "half' of his players don't know he played in the NFL or caught a touchdown pass in his career.

Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

NASHVILLE - When it comes to Mike Vrabel, the former New England Patriots linebacker, Mike Vrabel, the current Tennessee Titans head coach, doesn't have much to say about his former self. 

It's been that way since he arrived in Nashville and was announced as the team's new headman. He's not one to talk about that portion of his professional life. 

Recently, it was announced that he would be inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame; I congratulated him on the honor following one of the off-season OTA practices. His soft-spoken response was a simple "thanks." 

Granted, I was not expecting a long conversation, he saves those for more important things like wearing a hoodie in the heat, but his understated response spoke of his ability to separate between what he accomplished as a player and what he's trying to do now as a head coach. 

Vrabel recently sat down with 'The Voice of the Titans," Mike Keith, and Titans Radio's, Amie Wells on The Official Titans Podcast, where the subject of his time as a player. And his almost refusal to talk about it came up. 

Vrabel is focused on the present.

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"What I did for New England, or what I did as a player, is not going to help our players coming in," said Vrabel. "It's not going to help me coach them. You know, I may be able to explain, hey so-in-so, or this technique, or we did that, but half of them, I don't think even realize I played." 

Keith then asked how many of his players Vrabel thought knew that their head coach played in the league. 

"I just said half of them," Vrabel said. 

And he meant that literally. 

"I mean that literally," added Vrabel. "You should go around the locker room."   

"I can guarantee you half of them didn't even know I caught a touchdown pass," concluded Vrabel. 

It wasn't just one, Mike, you know it was more than that, but he doesn't want to talk about it.  

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