Ty Law and Mike Vrabel were part of some of the most successful New England Patriots rosters to ever grace the NFL gridiron. But despite their Super Bowl success, they weren’t exactly model players when it came to training. Law once shared a hilarious story about how he used to sneak swigs from Vrabel’s alcohol-filled flask before practice.
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Law and Vrabel won three Super Bowls while playing together in New England. Law was so dominant as a cornerback that the NFL had to implement the “Ty Law rule,” which is now known as illegal contact. Vrabel was also quite good as a versatile linebacker, known for his toughness and leadership.
So, you wouldn’t expect guys like them to drink alcohol before practice. But they did. As Law recalled on The Dan Patrick Show, Vrabel would carry a flask, usually filled with whiskey, to the team’s facility. And it wasn’t just Law—several teammates would stop by the former linebacker for a sip or two.
“We (drank alcohol) in practice before,” Law started. “Mike Vrabel used to have the flask, so we would all go to Vrabel and hit the flask and some whiskey or something.”
Law tried to breeze past the story, but Patrick stopped him in his tracks, stunned that it was Vrabel supplying the alcohol.
“He had everybody else getting a flask!” Law exclaimed.
Law then mentioned that back in the day, they had to drive from the facility to the practice field in full pads. So, during the car rides, players would pass around the flask and take the edge off beforehand. Given how brutal the Foxborough cold could get, who could really blame them? However, when it came to game time, Law was always clean as a whistle.
“Never a game. Not for me,” Law said when asked if he ever drank before a game. “I’ve never drank before a game. I had to go out there and cover the fast guys. You can’t go out there covering Marvin Harrison, Randy Moss, and TO with alcohol in your system. I’d be on the wrong end of the highlights.”
Now that Vrabel is the head coach of the Patriots, it would be funny to hear his take on this story today. One has to wonder—does he keep an eye out for the secret ways players might try to sneak alcohol into practice? After all, he probably knows all the tricks.
All jokes aside, it was a hilarious story that Law shared. Hats off to Patrick for pressing him for more details, as Law seemed ready to mention it in passing and move on. But you can’t drop a story that juicy and expect to breeze past it with an award-winning journalist like Patrick. He always gets the most out of his interviewees.
