A small smile crept across Mike Vrabel’s face when he was asked about seeing his former Patriots teammate and now-NBC analyst, Rodney Harrison.
The Patriots will play on “Sunday Night Football” when they take on the Bills in Buffalo Sunday night. That means Harrison is covering his former team for a game for the first time since they played the Dolphins on Sept. 17, 2023, when Bill Belichick was head coach and Mac Jones was the quarterback. A lot has changed in two-plus years, most notably Drake Maye leading the Pats offense and Vrabel coaching from the sidelines. And the latter sounds excited to see Harrison this week.
“It would have been nicer to see him 20 years ago and still be ready to play for us,” Vrabel joked, referencing Harrison’s injury-shortened 2005 season in which the Patriots failed to three-peat as Super Bowl Champions.
Vrabel praised Harrison’s work ethic and self-care as a factor in his success as a player. “I think my career probably started to really take off, and the longevity of my career, partly due to Rodney and just how hard he worked at that age to take care of his body.”
Harrison and Vrabel were in New England from 2003-2008, and the Patriots head coach had nothing but good things to say about his defensive teammate. “The violence in which he played with, the accountability in which he held me to and teammates, was something that I always admired. And so, any chance that I can get to be around him is great. But I always enjoyed my six years with Rodney.”
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Rodney Harrison #37, James Sanders #36, and Mike Vrabel #50 of the New England Patriots meet during a game against the Miami Dolphins on Dec. 23, 2007.
Vrabel replied “I think it’s fair” when asked if Harrison’s demeanor as a teammate impacted his coaching style, adding: “I think it’s also hard to find those types of guys that are willing to protect the team, not worry about conflict and not worry about saying something to somebody. Rodney wasn’t big into feelings.”
Vrabel commended Harrison’s ability to hold those around him accountable, knowing it was for the good of the team. “He was a great friend and a great teammate, but he cared about winning, he cared about the team, how we played, how we prepared and how we competed. And if that bothered somebody, it certainly didn’t bother him.”
“It’s okay that if you care about somebody, if we put the time in to have some connections and care about somebody, you can have some truthful conversations and say things that when you say it to a friend, they probably take it to heart, when you say it to a stranger, they probably think you’re full of it.”
The Patriots take on the Bills at 8:20 p.m. EST Sunday night at Highmark Stadium.