How Mike Vrabel's ritual ignited the Patriots' Super Bowl run - ESPN

THIS IS A TIME of massive joy in the middle of Gillette Stadium, and yet Mike Vrabel is running from it. He shakes hands with Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans and darts off the field as his New England Patriots celebrate a trip to the AFC title game. It's not a sprint. But it's not a jog, either. This run is important.

Big, sloppy snowflakes are falling, with each one feeling like a wet slap across the face. About 60,000 fans roar in the stands on that day, Jan. 18, and all 100 or so members of the home sideline linger around the Patriots logo after their 28-16 win. The only person missing is their coach, Vrabel.

Even at 50 years old, the 6-foot-4 former linebacker can move. He rarely has to hit a speed like he does on this day, but then again, he can't be late. He had started a tradition during his Titans coaching days of darting into the tunnel underneath the stadium, home or away, so that he can greet every player as they come off the field. It doesn't matter to him if it is a big playoff win or a forgettable September loss — Vrabel knows the price that players pay, and it's a tax that his body paid for 14 years, including eight seasons and three Super Bowl wins for the Patriots during the Bill Belichick era.

«This is a tough game, a physical game,» Vrabel tells me during a news conference. «They're beat up and banged up, and I want to thank them. I want to see them and say that. That is a good chance to be appreciative of them and their efforts.»

He sprints because he doesn't want to miss a single player on their way in. He has done it enough to know that some guys head in right away after a tough day at the office. So he can't let them beat him, and he will sacrifice any fun in the middle of the field in favor of