Patriots' Mike Vrabel Reveals Origin of Warriors Identity

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — When searching for a way to help motivate his team this season, New England Patriots head coach — and proud Gen X’er — Mike Vrabel took a page out of his era’s playbook just in time for Super Bowl LX.

During the Pats’ Week 2 matchup with the Miami Dolphins — the team’s first road trip of the season — Vrabel showed the his players a clip of the 1979 action/thriller 'The Warriors' before their arrival in Miami Gardens. Having thrived on the intensity of away games during his playing days, the ‘HC of the NEP’ hoped to craft the Patriots into his own version of “road warriors.”

Though Vrabel doubted the chants and iconic line quotes would resonate with his team long-term, it has grown to become New England’s unofficial rally cry.

"When we started this thing in Miami, I ran out of WWF clips to show them about the Road Warriors." So, I showed them a clip from The Warriors … I didn't think it would stick, but it did.”

Coach Vrabel shares the origin of "The Warriors" 🤣 pic.twitter.com/0dx8SCELgs
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 29, 2026

Not only did it “stick,” but this newfound celebration of the team’s prowess when playing away from Gillette Stadium has also taken on a life of its own. In addition to “Warriors” being chanted repeatedly throughout the Patriots pre-game and post-game locker rooms, Vrabel himself could not help to emit an elongated “WARRIORRRRSSS” shortly after being presented with the Lamar Hunt Trophy in celebration of his team’s 10-7 victory over the Denver Broncos in the AFC championship game.

Receiver Mack Hollins, known for his [at times] off-beat nature, has often cosplayed as one of the movie’s characters when arriving for games. Prior to last week’s conference championship game in Denver, he wore a leather vest, grasped three bottles in his hand, and walked in, barefoot as always, chanting perhaps the film’s most iconic line, "WARRIORS, COME OUT TO PLAAAAAAAAYAY!"

Return of the Mack!

Patriots WR Mack Hollins with best arrival of Championship weekend referencing The Warriors movie in his first game back off IR: pic.twitter.com/OXWVIoW4Hw
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) January 25, 2026

The film, directed by Walter Hill, a street gang must escape from the Bronx, NY back to their home turf om Coney Island after being framed for the murder of a respected gang leader. Despite somewhat tepid reviews upon its original release, “The Warriors” has since achieved a cult-classic level of success.

Patriots, Mike Vrabel Share a Tough, Tenacious Reputation

Dec 14, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel reacts from the sideline as they take on the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Of course, Vrabel’s first intention was to liken his Patriots players to one of the most popular pro wrestling tag teams in sports entertainment history. The Road Warriors, originally composed of Road Warrior Hawk (Michael Hegstrand) and Road Warrior Animal (Joseph Laurinaitis), performed under the moniker in the American Wrestling Association (AWA), the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), and World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and the name "Legion of Doom" (LOD) in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Complete with their spiked shoulder pads, face paint and intimidating physiques, the “Road Warriors” intimidated their competition before they arrived.

For the Patriots, the “road warriors” image is not only self-professed, but also well-deserved. Including the playoffs, the Patriots were a perfect 9-0. Perhaps no member of the Pats thrived on the road more than quarterback Drake Maye — who completed 72.1% of his passes for 2,186 yards with 17 touchdowns and just three interceptions. His passer rating (120.2), yards per attempt (9.4) and passing yards per game (273.3) were all higher on the road this season, per The Boston Herald.

As the Patriots turn their attention in earnest to their Feb. 8 showdown with the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX, they remain hopeful that the “road warriors” exit their temporary turf (New England is the anointed home team this season) of Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif with the franchise’s seventh Lombardi Trophy. Perhaps wearing their monochrome combination of white jerseys and pants — a uniform combination which has brought five victories to the Pats this season — will help the “Warriors…come out to play” one more time.

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