Hear, hear: Vrabel roars in, makes crucial play

By William Kalec, Globe Correspondent, 2/4/2002

EW ORLEANS - Mike Vrabel didn't see the play. His play.

The one early in the second quarter that finally backed up the Patriots' claim that the second time around against the Rams they'd be more physical. The play that hinted something special might happen in New Orleans. The play that is without question the defining moment of the linebacker's career.

No, Mike Vrabel didn't see that play.

''I just heard the roar,'' Vrabel said. ''When you get pressure and then you hear a roar like that, it usually means good things for the defense.''

After picking himself off the Superdome turf, Vrabel ran to congratulate Ty Law, who scored the Patriots' first touchdown when he picked off Kurt Warner's rushed pass and returned it untouched.

When returning to the sideline, Vrabel took a seat and peered at the large replay screen on the south side of the Superdome to catch a glimpse of what had just happened.

Romeo Crennel had called a defense that stacked four linemen and Vrabel at the line of scrimmage. Vrabel showed blitz the entire time and when St. Louis tight end Ernie Conwell went out on a pattern instead of blocking, the first-year Patriot had a clean shot.

The rush forced Warner to quickly throw off his back foot as Vrabel rudely introduced the league MVP to something that became a recurring theme.

''We just wanted to hit him,'' New England defensive lineman Richard Seymour said. ''We didn't want to tap him. He had to know that we were there.

''A couple times, it looked like his helmet was off, or he was discombobulated. That's kind of what we wanted to do - make it physical. Make it our football game.''

For three quarters, Vrabel did that. His four tackles stood out on a defense that for three quarters was full of big plays.

''Our defense played great,'' Vrabel said. ''Then, we played terrible.''

Roughly two hours after his big play, Vrabel was at the other end of the emotional spectrum - slumped on the sideline after Warner directed the Rams on consecutive scoring drives late in the fourth quarter.

He stayed in the same spot until Adam Vinatieri lined up for a game-ending 48-yard field goal. He didn't see that play, either.

''I watched that from the screen, the big screen,'' Vrabel said. ''I watched the whole thing from that screen. Adam did his thing and here we are.''

There he was - walking back to the Patriots' locker room, covered in sweat and Super Bowl championship paraphernalia. Out of the corner of his eye, Vrabel noticed St. Louis defensive coordinator Lovie Smith.

The two shook hands as Smith congratulated Vrabel on the play.

A play Vrabel didn't see but will hear about for the rest of his life.

This story ran on page C10 of the Boston Globe on 2/4/2002.
© Copyright 2002 Globe Newspaper Company.