Image courtesy of the New England Patriots
Not long ago, Vinny DePalma was basically serving as a player-coach when he was a linebacker for Boston College.
DePalma was a staple in Chestnut Hill for six years before finishing up his graduate season in 2023. The wily veteran and two-time captain often joked with coaches, teammates and the media about how much of a coach-like impact he had while on the field, or even off of it during the unforgettably odd 2020 season that he missed with an Achilles injury.
DePalma’s instincts, determination and intelligence were an asset to anyone around him during his playing days. So much so, that Jerod Mayo decided to bring him on staff in 2024 about 30 minutes away in Foxborough.
Despite the ugly season for the Patriots, DePalma made enough of an impression on Mike Vrabel for Vrabel to want him to stick around as a defensive assistant this season.
But, it wasn’t just Vrabel he’s made an impression on. The entire defensive staff and players have noticed the impact DePalma is making on the organization just two years into his professional coaching career.
“Vinny’s been the pilot behind a lot of the work that’s done with the defense, for sure,” K’Lavon Chaisson said in the locker room on Thursday. He’s around the building making sure the defensive linemen have the nuggets that they need, making sure the linebackers have the nuggets that they need, even DBs as well.
“He’s a super critical part of this defense, man. I’m super appreciative we have him, for sure. Vinny’s one of the first people I see when I walk into the facility and we get in pretty early. Any free time that I actually catch Vinny around the building, I’m usually with him the majority of the time making sure he has every detail and nugget that we need. He’s always on the go and trying to make sure that we have it…he’s definitely a coach. For sure.
“It’s just a matter of time before he is. Everybody has to go through their rankings and roles and the process. I’m sure whenever that day does come when he has that role with whatever position group or title he holds, he’s going to excel in it pretty well.”
Robert Spillane knows a thing or two about making an immediate impact as a captain in his first season with New England. He too has noticed how valuable DePalma can be behind the scenes.
“Vinny has been a true professional since day one. I love how he comes in with energy, passion and a great knowledge of the game,” he said. “I’m excited to see Vinny take his next step on his coaching journey.”
Fellow BC alum Harold Landry III was also willing to share his thoughts on what DePalma is bringing to the office every day.
“I think he’s done a great job. I feel like he can relate to the players. He does a good job of explaining install and the game plan for that week. I think he’s done a great job,” said Landry III. “You can go talk to him about things outside of football too. He tries to connect on a personal level. I think he’s done a great job.”
Any BC talk between the two?
“Yeah, a little bit,” Landry III added with a light chuckle.
Perhaps this week more than ever, DePalma’s efforts – and the efforts of the entire defensive staff – will need to be ramped up with the absence of defensive coordinator Terrell Williams.
If you watched the game broadcast last week and wondered who the guy was sitting next to Williams in the booth, it was Vinny.
Whether Williams will be with the team in Miami this Sunday or not is still to be determined, but inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr is most likely the next guy up as the signal caller. So, when defensive assistants spoke to the media on Thursday, I asked Kuhr what exactly Vinny was doing while next to Williams last week.
“I won’t really get into the operation of how we do things, but he’s a pretty important part of what we do,” said Kuhr. “He’s an extremely valuable asset to the staff. He does a lot. He helps with the inside backers, helps with special teams, helps in a bunch of different facets of the game and he’s a smart, great young coach that I think is just skyrocketing in his career.”
Outside linebackers coach Mike Smith also chimed in on DePalma’s role.
“He’s looking at tells, personnel groups – offensive personnel groups, stuff like that. Little things that he might catch that we can’t see down on the field,” said Smith. “He’s one of us. He does all the quality control. He helps the linebackers. He does a lot. He’s a really good ball coach, being that young.
“Right now with Terrell, we’re all in this together and putting all of our minds together and rolling like that.”
You won’t hear DePalma’s name on the broadcast at all Sunday, but his mind and voice will continue to be an important one for the Patriots.