Will Campbell certainly made a lasting impression on New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel during a pre-draft visit.
In April, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that, while holding a private workout with Campbell, Vrabel put on a blocking pad and the former LSU tackle got the better of him, knocking him to the ground.
Campbell confirmed that this indeed happen when speaking with reporters shortly after.
“Yeah, I got him. I’m not going to lie,” Campbell said. “I got him on the ground.”
However, Vrabel is now adding another layer to this story which doesn’t make him look as bad.
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During an appearance on Bill O’Brien’s podcast, the Boston College head coach couldn’t help but call out his friend regarding this story.
“Is it true that he knocked you stiff,” O’Brien questioned.
“I was in a 4i,” Vrabel responded “We were working on 4i cutoffs on the backside of inside zone.
“Why would you get in a 4i on Will Campbell?” O’Brien jumped in to ask.
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“Because I needed to see what it was like,” Vrabel added. “He kind of jumped the snap count on me.”
So, is Vrabel saying the Campbell might have false-started during this viral moment?
“Potentially,” the Patriots head coach declared. “He caught me pretty good on the second snap.”
It’s clear that there were no hard feelings, and in the end, New England selected Campbell with the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
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But regardless if it was a false start or not, Vrabel won’t be living this one down anytime soon.
