Mike Vrabel Details Why He Loved Friendly Trash Talk With Tom Brady at Joint Practice

Before Mike Vrabel picked up head coaching duties in New England, he was playing alongside Tom Brady. And the two were famous for their trash talk. Not only with opposing players but also with each other. “There’s a healthy rivalry between us, even though he’s kind of fat and out of shape,” Brady once said about Vrabel, long after they’d stopped being teammates.

Their alma mater rivalry fueled this trash talk even further. During their eight seasons as teammates, Brady and Wrabel would often engage in friendly wagers over the annual Michigan-Ohio State football game, reflecting their college rivalry. Brady, a Michigan alum, would occasionally wear Vrabel’s Ohio State jersey in years when the Buckeyes triumphed over the Wolverines—a playful consequence of their bets.

“Mike’s kind of an [expletive] if you get to know him. He went to Ohio State. Obviously, I don’t like him,” Brady once said. Of course, Vrabel gave it back, too. In fact, he relished this dynamic with his quarterback. By his own admission, he loved it. And now, he’s trying to build the same culture in New England that once defined the era he and Brady played in.

“I loved it. It was the part of the reason I came to work every day was to able to do that. It was fun and those battles. The players all pushed each other. The players held each other accountable. That’s what you are trying to create. Ultimately my job is to protect the team and if the players do it, then I have an easy job, and if they don’t I have to pick up where they don’t,” said the former linebacker on the Greenlight podcast. 

Trash-talking was a big part of the Patriots’ culture. It was a way to motivate, and no player was safe from it. However, Vrabel took it to a whole different level. Nothing was off the table for him, which included personal barbs and even dissing his teammates’ family members.

TB12 and Vrabel share a respectful, long-standing friendship. Together, they played over 100 games, winning three Super Bowls. He even caught a TD pass from 3-time MVP in the Super Bowl. Their Former Patriots teammate, Vince Wilfork, described their relationship as a “major rivalry,” with the two players constantly pushing each other.

Mike clearly influenced Brady, who picked up the art of trash talk from his former teammate. This trash talk culture continued even after the two stopped being teammates.

During a joint practice between the Patriots and Titans, while TB12 was still playing, he and Vrabel picked up right where they left off. The then-Titans head coach called out Brady for strolling through practice and showing up late. But the GOAT didn’t hold back, firing back that Vrabel should worry about his own team.

In another instance, during a joint practice between the Bucs and Titans. While addressing both teams, Vrabel told the Bucs players, “I know you’re moving forward, but it’s good to see another defense carry Brady to another Super Bowl.”

“I wouldn’t describe it as civil,” Brady said during the practice while talking about his trash talk with Vrabel. “He’s been a good friend for a long time. Obviously, he’s done a great job leading his team. Proud of him and everything he’s accomplished. We all support him even though he’s coaching for another team.”

Tom’s competitive fire and trash-talking, which he learned from Mike, resurfaced during a charity golf match—this time, with Josh Allen as his target. Brady used a golf ball featuring an image of the Lombardi Trophy and couldn’t resist taking a jab at the Bills QB. Smirking, he asked Allen, “Do you know what this is? Have you ever seen one before?”

Even off the field, Brady’s competitive edge—and love for trash talk—never fades.