Patriots Legend Thought Mike Vrabel Was Staying at Ohio State

In 2011, Mike Vrabel announced his retirement from the NFL after 14 seasons, including winning three Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots. Soon after, he announced he took a spot on the Ohio State coaching staff -- the same place where he played his college football.

If you ask one of Vrabel's teammates in New England, he's honestly surprised he didn't remain with the Buckeyes for longer.

"I kind of thought that he was going to be the head coach at Ohio State," Patriots Hall of Fame left tackle Matt Light told Patriots on SI. "I thought he's gonna go back to his alma mater and come back and move into his place in Columbus, and and live life in the Midwest. You know, he's an Akron guy. He came from north Columbus, up near Cleveland."

August 28, 2009; Landover, MD, USA; New England Patriots offensive tackle Matt Light (72) lines up against the Washington Redskins in the second quarter at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland. The Patriots won 27-24. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Vrabel -- an outspoken childhood Browns fan -- loves his Ohio roots. He played his four years of college with Ohio State before being drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 1997 draft. After his rookie contract was up, he signed with the Patriots in 2000 ... and rest was history.

"Everyone knew that Mike was a coach back when he played, knew he was going to be a coach when he retired," Light said. "I don't know that it gets talked enough about. You know his role as a player rep. There have been a lot of people that have served as (NFLPA) reps and on the executive committee. Mike was in both of those arenas. He understood the business side of the NFL. He understood the rights of the players, and he stood up for those rights. Those aren't easy things to do."

One Of Vrabel's Teammates Always Thought He'd Be OSU's Head Coach

After Vrabel was an assistant coach for the Buckeyes under head coaches Luke Fickell and Urban Meyer. Originally brought to the staff as a linebackers coach, Meyer transitioned him to the defensive line coach. After three seasons at the college level, he signed a deal with the Houston Texans to join their staff.

He spent a couple seasons in Houston before earning his first head coaching gig with the Tennessee Titans. That's where the original thoughts of Vrabel's head coaching prowess began to resurface.

Feb 4, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel speaks to the media at the Santa Clara Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

"That's what a leader is challenged with, right?" Light said about Vrabel's ability to stand up for his players. "So are you going to stand up and do the right thing, even if it costs you? That to me is a big part of what defines leadership in any organization. And Mike has been more than willing to take on that responsibility and in many ways, and as a head coach, I think he learned a lot being in Tennessee. He learned a lot when he was in Houston."

But Vrabel didn't end up returning to Ohio State (though he did make a brief appearance on the Cleveland Browns' coaching staff in 2024).

So Light might have been surprised to see the coaching journey his fellow Patriots Hall of Famer might have taken, but he sure isn't upset by the result.

"I like him a lot better here in New England," he laughed.

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