Inside Patriots locker room: Mike Vrabel chugged a beer after AFC Championship win

DENVER – The doors opened to the visitors’ locker room inside Mile High Stadium, and it was pandemonium.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft was exiting the scene with his son and team president Jonathan Kraft, as players screamed and celebrated. Edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson held the Lamar Hunt Trophy in his hand and took photos with his position coach, Mike Smith, and fellow teammates.

Just around the corner, Mike Vrabel held a can of Miller Lite in his hand before it vanished without a trace.

The Patriots head coach tilted his head back, opened the hatch, and chugged the celebratory beer inside the locker room in front of offensive linemen Morgan Moses and Will Campbell.

When he was finished, Vrabel crushed the can with his large right hand and continued walking as his players continued celebrating following their AFC Championship win over the Denver Broncos.

“He’s getting a little older,” Moses said before making fun of Vrabel’s digestive system. “Hell of a win from the guys.”

What was once a feel-good story, this remarkable Patriots season has turned into what one player described as a “fever dream.”

After back-to-back 4-win seasons, Vrabel’s team went 14-2 in the regular season and never lost on the road. That trend continued on Sunday as the Patriots defeated the Broncos in Denver for the first time in a playoff game in franchise history.

They have their beer-chugging, hard-hitting, smack-talking coach to thank – even if he won’t take the credit.

“It’s a group effort, it just wasn’t me,” Vrabel said. “I do this for the players,” Vrabel said. “I’ve been in their position. I have. I’ve been there, and it’s amazing, and I want other people to feel that feeling, and it’s for our families who make a lot of sacrifices and the excitement and the joy that they have.”

That joy could be seen in the locker room after the Patriots booked a trip to Santa Clara, Calif., where they’ll play the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX.

In the tunnel

After beating the Broncos, 10-7, and celebrating on the field, Patriots players started making their way to the locker room just before 4:20 p.m. mountain standard time.

They were tired, sweaty, and wet from the snowstorm they just played in. Emotions were riding high for many. Before defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga entered the locker room, he said, “We’re here, and they’re the No. 1 o-line? Alright.”

Fellow defensive tackle Milton Williams echoed the same sentiments after a dominant defensive performance against the NFL’s top offensive line.

“No. 1 offensive line can kiss my (expletive),” Williams said.

All week long, the Patriots’ defense heard about how the Broncos’ offensive line allowed the fewest sacks in the regular season. They then went out and hit Jarrett Stidham seven times and sacked the backup quarterback three times. The group also limited the Broncos to 3.3 yards per carry.

At 4:22 p.m., Kraft walked through the tunnel wearing a black Patriots AFC Championship hat, gave a thumbs up, and told people to “stay safe” from the snowstorm. He was soon followed by Vrabel, whose family trailed behind.

The Patriots coach took off a microphone that was attached to his shirt at 4:23 p.m. before turning around. There, Vrabel embraced his youngest son, Carter, with a big bear hug. Next, he did the same with his oldest son, Tyler, saying three words:

“How about that?”

Vrabel kissed his wife, Jen, before congratulating more players as they entered the locker room. One of the biggest embraces was with Christian Barmore, who hugged his coach with both arms before he was nearly lifted off the ground by Vrabel.

This season, Vrabel made it a point to get to know his players personally. He coaches them hard, but also shows he cares. The level of love is seen in moments like Sunday.

Standing in front of his locker, Barmore wore black sunglasses with a giant diamond-laced necklace that read, ‘BMore.’ The defensive tackle talked about how much it meant to go to the Super Bowl after being diagnosed with blood clots last season.

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Then, he was asked about his coach.

“I play hard for that man,’ Barmore said. “The things that man taught me, how he coaches me, I really respect the man with my life.”

Vrabel means a lot to his players

Standing on the other side of the locker room, Will Campbell wore khaki pants and a gray flannel button-down. The rookie left tackle had long finished the Miller Lite after watching his coach guzzle his.

The Patriots’ first-round pick is kindred spirits with Vrabel. Both are no-nonsense humans who love football and would fight for their teammates.

“It’s the most fun I’ve had since high school,” Campbell said. “This is just everything I could’ve asked for coming into the league. I’m just super grateful for him.”

While Campbell was talking, Garrett Bradbury poked fun at the rookie, calling him “Willy.” Playing his seventh NFL season, the Patriots center never made it out of the divisional round until this season.

After playing in his first conference title game, Bradbury will play in his first Super Bowl. The veteran said playing for Vrabel has been life-changing.

“He’s absolutely unbelievable,” Bradbury said. “This player-friendly term gets thrown around a lot, but it looks different. He’s hard on us when he needs to be. But he’s also a lot of fun at times. This whole locker room will ride with that guy.

“He’s been leading the charge since he took the job. He’s done an unbelievable job. Just to be a small part of helping build this is the most rewarding year of my career.”

After playing for the Patriots from 2001 to 2008 and winning three Super Bowl championships as a player, Vrabel was an obvious hire for Kraft last offseason. Following the firing of Jerod Mayo, the owner brought in a Patriots Hall-of-Famer and veteran coach to lead his team into a new chapter.

Vrabel’s leading the Patriots back to the Super Bowl, where he hopes to be chugging more than just Miller Lite.

“He’s a great coach. At the end of the day, he’s one of us,” receiver Kayshon Boutte said. “He played. He’s been through it. He experienced it. He played in the Super Bowl, too. He’s happy for us, but without him, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”