FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Mike Vrabel and A.J. Brown's story began during the 2019 season.
Vrabel was the head coach of the Tennessee Titans when they selected the star wide receiver in the second round with the 51st overall pick. And things weren't completely smooth sailing because the head coach was very tough on Brown, and the young receiver couldn't completely understand why at the time. Now, looking back, Brown understands that he was doing it for a very good reason.
"Just to understand it, that it comes from a good place. Early on, he was just so tough on me, and I really didn't understand it as a young player," Brown told reporters on Tuesday. "Now, I know the expectations that I have for myself, and I know the expectations he has of me. And
they're even higher than the expectations I have for myself. Like I said, it just comes from a good place."
And with that, Brown took a walk down memory lane, recalling his first few games during the 2019 season.
"I think just when I first got into the league, he was just trying to let me know how the game is played. It's a week-to-week league and you got to come prepared every week," Brown recalled. "And it didn't help that my first game, I had 100 yards, and he was trying to bring me down."
In his first NFL game with the Titans in 2019, Brown had an insane start, finishing with three receptions for 100 yards. Then, in Week 2 against the Indianapolis Colts, he had "a couple of good plays." However, his welcome-to-the-NFL moment came in Week 3 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, going up against Jalen Ramsey. After that, he said Vrabel's message "hit home really quickly."
"It's a week-to-week league, and you can't go into it just thinking that you arrived as a young player. You have to be building all this confidence, and it gets in your head really quickly," Brown explained. "But his message drove home really quickly when I ran into those guys... I'll never forget."
Vrabel and Brown spent three full seasons together on the Titans before Brown was ultimately traded to the Philadelphia Eagles ahead of the 2022 season. But Vrabel's tenure with the team ended shortly after, as he was fired after the 2023 season.
But now, the two are reunited on the Patriots, and Vrabel took a moment to praise the receiver, highlighting the immense growth he's seen.
"I think that the maturity has been probably what I have appreciated seeing on a daily basis," the head coach said. "We had A.J. as a young player, continued that relationship personally, and I could sense that he was growing and making strides in that regard. But having him here, seeing him each and every day, the way that he communicates and where he's at in the training room.
"Just seeing his routine, his daily routine, and the way that he talks to the young receivers or the way that he communicates with Todd [Downing], Josh [McDaniels] or the quarterback, I would say that that's probably a little different than the day-to-day person I saw as a young player."
And for Brown, his reunion with Vrabel also gives him a newfound appreciation for the way he was coached so early, and he uses that to help another young player he sees is dealing with a similar situation.
"I went to talk to Gabe because Vrabes was really tough. And I just be sitting in my chair laughing. Just to see that process and just witness it all over again. But I went and had a couple words with Gabe to keep him locked in. So hopefully my words help," Brown added. "I thought it was an opportunity to share some insight with him about Coach Vrabes."
"I think he's handling it really well. I'm excited for him as well," the receiver added. "He has a high motor. He goes hard each and every day. It's very evident on film, and I'm excited for him."
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: A.J. Brown once didn’t get Mike Vrabel, but now he sees differently
