FOXBORO — Relating to coaching camp fights, Mike Vrabel needs his gamers to do as he says, not as he did.
Earlier than the Patriots took the sector for his or her first padded follow of the brand new season, Vrabel was requested to recall his first day in full pads as a Steelers rookie in 1997, throughout which he acquired into it with a Pittsburgh tight finish.
The scrap itself wasn’t particularly memorable, Vrabel stated, however the response to it was. His depth earned him the respect of All-Professional linebacker Greg Lloyd, who’d utterly ignored the third-round draft choose as much as that time.
“It’s a very good story about, don’t use the battle, however a couple of veteran participant,” Vrabel stated. “Greg Lloyd was a really dominant participant, imposing determine. I acquired drafted in April, and he didn’t say a phrase to me via OTAs. I’m on the protection, thoughts you. He didn’t say a phrase to me the whole offseason. We go to coaching camp. There’s a battle with me and a decent finish. I’m exhausted after follow, and I see this shadow come over me as I’m sitting within the locker room.
“He’s in his deep voice, and he’s like, ‘Yeah, the subsequent time you wish to come up beneath the face masks.’ And I used to be like, ‘You simply now are going to speak to me?’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, I simply needed to be sure you weren’t like a punk, after which I might speak to you.’ So, it’s a very good instance of only a veteran ensuring that rookies type of earn their stripes, I assume, slightly bit.”
Vrabel made clear, although, that he didn’t need any of his gamers following his lead.
“We wish to have the ability to follow the identical method we’ve got to play, which is bodily and throughout the guidelines,” the Patriots head coach stated. “Have an excellent play demeanor, end via the whistle and all these issues. Should you throw a punch, you’re going to get kicked out of the sport, which goes to value the workforce. So, I don’t anticipate any of that. I would like us to have fun with our workforce and the defensive unit, have fun with one another. Offensive unit, get excited and have fun with one another. Not get into the taunting and the issues that we will’t have in the course of the sport.”
New England’s gamers largely abided by these guidelines Monday. Although a short post-whistle scuffle broke out between rookie cornerback Kobee Minor and rookie receiver Jeremiah Webb after one 11-on-11 rep, no official preventing occurred, and no gamers had been ejected from follow.
A harder check of the “no preventing” coverage will come subsequent week when the Washington Commanders go to Gillette Stadium, as joint practices are the most well-liked setting for coaching camp brawls.
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