Mike Vrabel gives New England Patriots players four simple rules to follow: “It’s a respect thing”

During an eight-year player career with the New England Patriots, Mike Vrabel learnt exactly what is needed to become a champion. The former linebacker won three Super Bowls with the Patriots in the early 2000s and now takes over the team as head coach, tasked with restoring a once-great franchise.

He joins a team far removed from those that he played in. The Patriots have made just one postseason appearance in the past five years, suffering a 17-47 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round. It’s a team in desperate need of rejuvenation and Vrabel has implemented some new ground rules for the team going forward.

In a speech that has gone viral this week, Vrabel detailed his four non-negotiables: Keep hoods down during meetings; be on time; leave cell phones during team activities; and respect all members of the Patriots staff.

The notion of ‘identity’ is at the forefront of Vrabel’s mind as he looks to restore the team to former glories. The all-conquering Patriots teams built by Bill Belichik had a clear sense of discipline and that looks set to be a key principle for Vrabel going forward.

“We’re building our own identity,” Vrabel explained. “We’re building our own team, we’re building our own program. There are going to be things within that that are different... and it’s all about how we make you guys as good as you can possibly be as an individual, as a player, and as a team. That’s our whole goal and you have to start understanding that - why we’re doing what we’re doing.”

Respect for all team members is also a key focus, with Vrabel telling players exactly how to behave around other members of staff. The Patriots off-field staff extends to hundreds of employees that contribute, in their own small ways, to the gameday success. Vrabel made clear that disrespect will not be tolerated.

“They are here to help you do your job,” he insisted. “They aren’t here to be your valet, to be your housekeeper, to be your butler - you get where I’m going? We’re going to treat those people with the utmost respect.”

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