SANTA CLARA, CA – You’ve all seen and heard it by now.
Mike Vrabel is willing to give up A LOT for a Super Bowl as a head coach, even his most prized body part.
While obviously being facetious (I hope), Vrabel has said that he would cut off his manhood if it meant getting a ring as a head coach in the NFL while on the ‘Bussin With The Boys’ podcast. So, obviously, on Wednesday morning during one of the final media availabilities with all Patriots players, I had to get their reactions to the comment, as well as what it would mean to them to get their head coach that ring.
I asked 18 guys total and the answers were mostly as incredible as I’d hoped…
TreVeyon Henderson
“I don’t know man, I guess it’s that serious to him. You just see how passionate he is about the game, I know he gets a lot of guys excited when he comes into the meetings and he’s passionate. He’s always got the right things to say in meetings. It’d be special to get him another one, he’s poured a lot into us as players. It would definitely mean a lot.”
K’Lavon Chaisson
“Hey man, do what you gotta to go get it. This game means a lot to us man. The amount of hours and sacrifice we put into it…the game is wild itself. We all put a lot on the line every day…I think it would mean everything (to get him a ring). I think Varies deserves it as much as anyone…he’s worked his tail off, you saw that throughout his career.”
Brendan Schooler
“I think he’s just one of those guys that’s going to do whatever it takes to win. That’s the mindset he has. That’s the mindset he’s given us. Do all you can to the best of your ability in whatever role you have on the team and at the end of the day, when the clock strikes zero and we look up at that scoreboard and see what happens. I think it would be awesome (to get him a ring), he’s more than deserving. being a Coach of the Year, what better way to send him off in the postseason than a Super Bowl.”
Khyiris Tonga
“He’s crazy. It just shows like, what this league does to you and what it means to a lot of the guys. A lot of people don’t get the opportunity to be here. Obviously, Vrabes has been here a lot of times, but if he’s saying he’d cut off his ‘yeah,’ it must be something special. We would be over the moon for him. The fact for him to come in and establish the culture he did and bring in the guys that he thought would be a part of that, to be able to go to war with him every day, yeah, that would be special.”
Jaylinn Hawkins
“Man, no way. I wouldn’t give that up. But nah, it just shows his willingness, his commitment to the squad, to the team. It would be special to get him another one, especially the way he’s believed in us throughout the year and coached us, man, Coach is like family. It’d be awesome to do that.”
Will Campbell
“Well, he’s obviously already had children. Yeah, I think it shows how bad he wants to win. I mean, I would cut some stuff off, but that is not one of them. It would be awesome (to win), not just for him, but for everyone in this building, it would be awesome.”
Kayshon Boutte
“I thought he was crazy. I saw the video for the first time last night and that’s when I was like ‘yeah, that’s actually crazy.’ His first ring as a coach, that’s all of our goal, honestly. It would mean a lot. We’ve been through a lot of work since April for this moment. We’re here in his first year and I think it means a lot.”
Rhamondre Stevenson
“He’ll do whatever it takes to get to this point. I feel bad for him now. We here now, so he might have to. We’ll see…it would mean a lot. He’s been the conductor of this team. We appreciate him. Everyone in this room appreciates him. It would mean a lot, but he already has a ring, so I think it’s time for us to get something.”
Jack Gibbens
“I don’t know if he really…I just think it’s funny. I think he said it in a way where, if he did it, guarantees the Super Bowl, not necessarily if we go win the Super Bowl he’s going to do it. So, that’s just funny and I just think he’s having fun with it. That’d be awesome to see him get a ring as coach. He obviously had success as a player, seeing him in the scrum in training camp, I saw him back in Tennessee doing the same thing. he’s not afraid to get in it. You know he’s going to fight for us, for sure.”
Jahlani Tavai
“Man, you’re a weirdo. Nah, just dedication…and weirdo. I think he’s at the age where he don’t probably use it anymore. It would mean a lot. It would be awesome. We’re excited to try and make that happen, but we’ve got to take care of business on Sunday.”
Harold Landry III
“Yeah, I would say the same (weirdo and dedication). I feel like it would mean a lot (to win for him), for me personally, he’s done a lot for me in my career and also off the field. So, it would mean a lot for him to come in here and get a ring in his first year.”
Kyle Williams
“I need my pen for long term, for life, but I think I’d go Deion Sanders and cut off a couple toes. I think I could do that. It would mean a lot to get it for him though.”
Pop Douglas
“He’d do anything for the team, man. Whatever it takes, he’d do. It would mean a lot. He brought this team together and made sure the team was tight-knit before we even touched the field. It meant a lot just to get him here.”
Hunter Henry
“Uh, sacrifice. The ultimate sacrifice as a man. It would mean everything, man. We care about him deeply and he cares about us deeply. It’s mutual and it’d be special.”
Caedan Wallace
“When I hear that, I think Coach means he will cut out all distractions outside of winning. The work he puts in, the effort, the love he shows us, he deserves it as much as any of us on the field.”
Mike Onwenu
“I would say it kind of reminds me of the movie ‘Saw,’ like, somebody give you that ultimatum, I mean…what you gonna do? It would mean a lot. He’s been a player and played through it, but especially coming off his past two or three years, I think he deserves it.”
Garrett Bradbury
“Um, passion. Yeah, I’ll let him do what he needs to do. I’ll just focus on doing my job on Sunday. Drake’s the conductor of this offense, but Coach is the conductor of this organization. He had a vision. He had a goal and an identity for this program when he took the job and he’s done as good a job as I’ve ever seen from a coach in bringing that to life. Teams take on the identity of their head coach and I think that’s true.”
Christian Elliss
“I’m not going that far. Maybe $20. It would mean everything. Obviously, he led this team from the start. He’s been a huge part of us as a team, as a culture and I think he deserves it.”