Tennessee Titans head coach and former linebacker Mike Vrabel and former offensive line and assistant head coach Dante Scarnecchia were inducted into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame on Saturday.
Scarnecchia and Vrabel became the 33rd and 34th members of the Patriots Hall of Fame. The Titans head coach was a nominee for several years before finally getting the nod in the vote from fans.
“This is just an amazing (honor),” Vrabel said, per Karen Guregian of Mass Live. “I don’t want to take it for granted. I’m so thankful to my teammates, the organization, the coaches, the fans… I’m very appreciative of this honor.”
During his speech, Vrabel noted how special the Patriots’ locker room was during his time there and admitted it’s something he’s trying to recreate in Tennessee.
“There was understanding, there was respect, you could say things that needed to be said to each other, and every day that’s what I’m trying to recreate wherever I coach, and now it’s with Tennessee,” said Vrabel.
“What I’m trying to recreate is what we had in that locker room,” he added. “I don’t know if we’ll get it, but every day I’m going to try.”
Patriots owner Robert Kraft joked that Vrabel would have been inducted much sooner if not for the Titans beating the Patriots in 2018 and 2019.
“This Hall of Fame honor is well deserved and long overdo,” Kraft said. “I’m sure you would have been in years ago. But after beating the Patriots in 2018, knocking us out of playoffs the following year, you might have lost a few votes.”
You can check out the entire ceremony for Vrabel in the first video below, with Vrabel’s portion beginning around the one-hour mark. We’ve also included some highlights and photos beneath that.