Mike Vrabel, Dante Scarnecchia inducted into Patriots Hall of Fame

Mike Vrabel remarked that it was his first trip back to Foxboro without having to prepare to coach against the Patriots. After over three decades with the team, Dante Scarnechia revealed his residence in Wrentham is now “home.”

While their careers post-New England led to a drastic difference in commutes, the two men found their way back to their eternal football homes Saturday, joining teammates and friends as the newest inductees into the Patriots Hall of Fame.

Although rain showers forced the ceremony inside the Cross Pavilion at Patriot Place, moods were high as Kraft made long-time assistant coach Dante Scarnechia just the fourth person inducted into the Hall of Fame as a contributor, joining team founder Billy Sullivan, former play-by-play announcer Gil Santos and longtime cheerleading director Tracy Sormanti.

“Many football coaches act like marine drill sergeants, but for Dante, it was no act,” chronicled Kraft. “His journey with the Patriots spans over four decades, a testament to his unwavering commitment and love for this team. You would be hard-pressed to find anyone who made greater on-field contributions over his 34 seasons which propelled us to 10 of our NFL-leading 10 Super Bowl appearances and helped us claim five of our six Super Bowl championships. Dante’s contributions to the Patriots are not just measured in wins and losses, but in the countless players he has mentored, the lives he has touched and the culture of excellence he helped foster.”

Scarnecchia was on the sidelines for 10 of New England’s 11 Super Bowl appearances. Scarnecchia was the Patriots’ special teams and tight ends coach from 1982 to 1988, including the Patriots’ Super Bowl XX squad. A brief tenure as a defensive assistant for the 1996 Super Bowl team precluded Scar’s career-defining time as the Patriot’s offensive-line maestro during their dynasty.

During his career, “Scar” was known for his strict and vocal coaching along the line. A hard-nosed approach that turned coal into diamonds, undrafted free agents into Pro Bowlers and the Patriots’ offensive line into the backbone of a dynasty.

“I believe a coach’s job is twofold. Number one, tell the truth. Number two, provide solutions. If it’s not going so well, it could sound like this: ‘This isn’t very good. It’s unacceptable. And here’s what we need to do to make it better.’ I wish I could tell you I was that diplomatic in saying it,” deadpanned Scarnechia. ‘

“When something like this happens to you, I think the only thing you can do is to thank all the people that helped you get here and that’s what I am thrilled to do today. Because I think today is all about the words ‘thank you’ and they’re really important to us,” continued Scarnechia. “Thank you to the many players I had the privilege to coach and that includes special teams, tight ends, defense for four years and offensive line. Thank you for being attentive. Thank you for buying in. Thank you for the hard work in the meeting room and on the practice field. Thank you for practicing like winners and playing like champions. Thank you for establishing and maintaining a culture that was conducive to winning. Thank you for all those things and, most importantly, thank you for putting up with me.”

Although Vrabel landed in New England in relative obscurity as a free agent in 2001, the swiss-army-knife linebacker’s tenure in New England was defined by his ability to make plays when the lights were brightest.

During his eight seasons in New England, Vrabel tallied 48 sacks in the regular season and a further seven in 17 playoff games. Although not a sack, former teammate Ty Law credited Vrabel’s bone-crushing hit on St Louis Rams QB Kurt Warner in Super Bowl XXXVI as the root cause of the iconic and championship-defining pick-six.

The same hands that gave opposing offensive linemen fits also had a proclivity for hauling in important passes. All of Vrabel’s 10 career receptions went for touchdowns, including two in back-to-back Super Bowl wins over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII and Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX.

“On and off the field Mike was a natural born leader,” detailed Kraft. “He was a mentor to younger players, a voice of reason in the locker room, and a man who led by example, his wit, timing and delivery always seem to be the perfect antidote to lighten the mood in some of those serious team meetings. His unique blend of toughness, strength, intelligence, work ethic and versatility earned him the respect of his coaches and teammates alike and a place among this franchise’s all-time great players.”

Now the head coach of the Tennesse Titans, Vrabel detailed how he’s tried to instill the same values in his players as the Patriots’ dynastic run did in him all those years ago.

“I’m trying to recreate what we had in that locker room. And I don’t know if we’ll get it, but we’re going to try every day. I’m going to try because nothing was more important than the team. Not your feelings. Not your stats, not your paycheck. Not what you’ve done in the past. Nothing was more important than football team,” said Vrabel.

Vrabel was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2009 and then served as an assistant coach with the Houston Texans before taking the reins in Tennessee. With miles and years behind his time in Foxboro, the former All-Pro selection revealed his perspective on his Patriots’ tenure has shifted somewhat.

“I don’t want anybody to [take it lightly] when they go away from here because any time that you’re associated with a Hall of Fame with an organization that has the trophies that this one has behind it, I don’t think you take it very lightly,” said Vrabel. “And again, I just remind everybody, don’t take what you have for granted, especially what we had here.”

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick put a cap on the events by sharing some memories of the coach and player.

“They didn’t call him ‘Big Cat’ for nothing. He’s like 6′8″, 300 whatever. He blocks out the sun,” said Belichick. “It’s training camp and frustrations are kind of coming on and you see Scar yelling at Big Cat, but he’s looking straight up at Big Cat. ‘You don’t use our techniques. That’s why you’re not doing this right. You’re not having any success because you have your way and your way is not working. So you better start doing our way. Alright, well you’re never gonna be any good.’ And he’s looking straight up, Big Cat’s looking straight down at him.”

Belichick detailed that when practice wrapped moments later, Scarnecchia took to asking Big Cat how his family was, an illustration of his ability to toggle between drill sergeant and friend whenever the moment came.

“You had a great way,” Belichick turned to Scarnecchia. “A great way of teaching, of getting the point across and a very, very effective, great teacher... great fundamental teacher and a great scheme teacher.”

Belichick detailed how Vrabel’s tactical nature as a player aided him not just in the battle of the trenches but was a boon to the coaching staff as well.

“It was very easy to picture Mike as a coach when he was a player,” described Belichick. “It really was because he was very cerebral, but at the same time, Mike is one of the best fundamental players that I think I’ve coached. I’ve coached a lot of linebackers, but Mike was a very good fundamental player, the use of his hands, he’s long, he’s very strong, very stout, and has a good feel for how to rush against those long tackles. Obviously, that’s why he’s wearing red jacket. I mean, he was a very, very productive player, his leadership and his intelligence that he brought to our team, not just our defense, obviously, but even the coaching staff.”

Fans will have a shorter wait than usual to see who will be the next Patriot alum to be enshrined at Patriot Place. During a special halftime ceremony during the Patriots’ home opener against the Eagles this season, Robert Kraft announced the team would be waiving its four-year waiting period and inducting 3-time MVP and 6-time Patriots Super Bowl champion Tom Brady into the hall of fame this upcoming spring.

Brady’s ceremony will be held on June 12, 2024 inside Gillette Stadium.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW