Patriots Relationships on Full Display at Boston College Pro Day

CHESTNUT HILL, Ma. --- Before Boston College's Pro Day, most of the time for New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel was spent talking to a familiar face.

Bill O'Brien, the former Patriots offensive coordinator, is heading into his third season with the Eagles. For O'Brien, his relationship with Vrabel is special and on display ahead of the workout. Speaking to reporters after the Pro Day, O'Brien -- who spent 2007-2011 and 2023 on the Patriots staff -- was more than happy to welcome in the Patriots to the facility.

"Mike's done an unbelievable job at the Patriots in a very short time, right? Turning that around," O'Brien told reporters about the potential of a BC-to-New England pipeline. "We try to recruit guys that are tough, that are smart, that are dependable, and I think those are the type of guys that he's looking for on his team. And so, yeah, you're hoping there's a little bit of a pipeline."

It was a productive day for all those who participated in the Pro Day, including BC wide receiver Lewis Bond, offensive linemen Logan Taylor and Jude Bowry, tight end Jeremiah Franklin and Dartmouth offensive lineman Delby Lemieux.

O'Brien has been a familiar face across the NFL and college ranks for years. After his time with the Patriots, he took the Penn State head coaching job before eventually being hired as the Houston Texans head coach. For three seasons, he coached against Vrabel when the Patriots head coach was with the Tennessee Titans.

Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel — Titans head coach Mike Vrabel shakes hands with Texans head coach Bill O'Brien after the Titans' 20-17 win at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Nas Titans 9 16 | George Walker IV / Tennessean.com

Vrabel And O'Brien Have NFL History

Both teams are heading in different directions. Vrabel recently won the NFL's Coach of the Year Award and made the Super Bowl in his first season in New England, while O'Brien is coming off a 2-10 season. Despite that, both came together to get a look at the next crop of NFL stars to come out of Boston College.

"I can't tell you how much I appreciate the work that they put in for us," O'Brien said about his players. "All the things- the practice sessions, the meetings, been some ups and downs here in their careers relative to wins and losses and to come out here and have this opportunity, like I said, in front of 29 teams. You’ve got Mike Vrabel here, head coach here. You've got Doug Marrone here, the offensive line coach of the Patriots. (Patriots executive) Ryan Cowden was here."

O'Brien also has experience with Marrone, who ran the offensive line drills. Marrone was the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2017-2020 and faced off with both Vrabel and O'Brien in the AFC South twice a year.

"You have a lot of people here that were able to watch these guys and I think it's a testament to their work ethic, but also, like, I feel great that they've had the opportunity to work out in front of these guys," O'Brien said. "It's really good."

Vrabel spoke with several of the players during the workout, including Bond and Bowry. According to the wideout, the Patriots head coach is similar to the one he had in college.

"Great guy. He kind of reminded me of Coach O'Brien a little bit," he said about his interactions with Vrabel. "All about football, smart, knows football, and is very disciplined. They both lead that way."

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