Will Campbell highlights ‘rare’ Mike Vrabel trait and hopes he’ll never have to play for another coach

New England Patriots

“This is the most fun I’ve had playing football since high school.”

Mike Vrabel received an unusual Christmas gift from the Patriots’ offensive linemen last month.

It was a T-shirt of himself carrying rookie left tackle Will Campbell in a BabyBjörn. Vrabel called the gift “cute” and debated whether or not to post a picture of it on social media before settling on keeping it offline. He joked that Campbell would kill him if he saw it on social media.

Vederian Lowe, who spent most of December filling in at left tackle while Campbell was on injured reserve, said it was the offensive line’s way of gently poking fun at the special relationship between Campbell and Vrabel.

“They have an amazing relationship,” Lowe said. “So I think some of the guys in the o-line room wanted to make fun of that. It was hilarious, actually.”

Speaking at his locker after the Patriots win against the Dolphins on Sunday, Campbell shed some light on his bond with Vrabel. Campbell, taken No. 4 overall last year, was the Patriots’ first draft pick of the Vrabel era.

“The first time I met him, we definitely hit it off. I mean, we’re very similar,” Campbell said. “I just feel like it’s very rare to have a coach like him that can connect with so many different personalities on a team.”

“I don’t ever want to have to play for anybody else,” Campbell added. “I feel like that’s the best way to sum it up. Other than high school, this is the most fun I’ve had playing football since high school.”

The Patriots did not allow any sacks during Campbell’s return on Sunday, and the win clinched the No. 2 playoff seed in the AFC.

“It’s everything you could ask for,” Campbell said of the chance to compete in the playoffs during his rookie season. “I’m really just thankful for the guys on this team, everybody shows up every day ready to work and there’s not another group I’d rather go with than these guys.”

MVP candidate Drake Maye strolled by Campbell’s press conference shouting Campbell’s nicknames “Big Country” and “Big Willie” as Campbell spoke about the closeness he feels with his teammates and coaches.

“All you hear about whenever you go into the league as a rookie is that it’s not like college, you know, enjoy college,” Campbell said. “You don’t have that close bond with your team and your coaches. I feel like that’s complete BS because this team has done nothing but prove that wrong. We’ve got a lot of great guys, great coaches, and I’m just super thankful to be a part of this group.”

With his first game action since Nov. 23 under his belt, Campbell’s focus shifts to his first NFL playoff run. The Patriots will host the Chargers next weekend at Gillette Stadium.

“I feel like even though I haven’t played in it, you understand what’s on the line,” Campbell said. “You understand that it’s win or go home. You’re going to get everybody’s best shot, everybody’s best pass-rush play-after-play. Everybody’s best call on defense. We’re going to have a good week of preparation for whoever we’re playing but we understand what’s at stake.”

The Patriots scored four touchdowns on the ground on Sunday and averaged 7.1 yards per carry. Protecting Maye’s blindside will be key during the playoffs, but so will establishing the run to help open things up.

“Well, you’d better be able to do that in the tournament, and you’d better be able to take care of the football,” Vrabel said. “You’d better be able to create some turnovers, and you have to have efficient quarterback play. That’s no secret. And you’re going to have to execute in situations like we did at the end of the half, whether that be at the end of the half or the end of the game to get some points. But that’s what it comes down to.”

Khari A. Thompson

Sports Reporter

Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.