FOXBORO, Mass. – Mike Vrabel has become the latest to relay his thoughts on Bill Belichick’s shocking omission from the Pro Football Hall of Fame earlier this week.
Belichick, 73, coached the Patriots from 2000 to '23 and collected a 333-178 overall record while winning 17 AFC East titles, nine conference championships, and six Super Bowls. Yet, to some on the voting committee, that wasn’t enough to get him in.
Outrage regarding the outcome has since ensued, with current Patriots owner Robert Kraft and former quarterback Tom Brady being among those who have spoken out in favor of the three-time Coach of the Year. At his press conference on Thursday morning—ahead of his team's matchup vs. the Seahawks in Super Bowl LX—current New England coach Mike Vrabel was asked about his former boss's Hall of Fame snubbing.
“I’m sure Bill will get in,” he expressed confidently. “That’s something that’s well out of my control. I know that the time here with Bill [was] eight great years—the teammates, and everybody else that we had. I’m sure that Bill will get into Canton.”
Mike Vrabel’s history with Bill Belichick and the Patriots
Vrabel was selected by the Steelers in the third-round of the 1997 NFL draft and spent four seasons in Pittsburgh before hitting free agency ahead of the 2001 season. He spent eight years in New England, and in the process won three Super Bowl titles, tallied 48 sacks, and was voted a First-Team All-Pro in 2007.
MORE: Full Patriots Super Bowl History: A Look Back at New England’s NFL Record Appearances
After the 2009 season, however, Vrabel was traded to the Chiefs for a draft pick. He retired after two seasons in Kansas City and would eventually pursue a career in coaching.
Despite playing under Belichick, Vrabel has made it clear that he does not consider himself a part of his coaching tree. “I never worked for Bill Belichick as a coach,” he told 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Mike Felger last spring. “There was a lot of things that I learned from him as a player that I've used, but just like with Urban Meyer, or just like with anybody else that I've worked for, I try to take those things, but do it in my own personality, my own style.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mike Vrabel Relays Confident Message About Bill Belichick After Hall of Fame Snub.
