Mike Vrabel has a special connection with the state of Tennessee. During his six years as head coach of the Titans, he led them to the playoffs thrice – a shock run to the conference title game in 2019, then divisional titles in the next two seasons.
In the months since his firing after the 2023 season, the place that he used to call home has birthed a new online sensation: Hailey Welch, aka the Tuah Girl. She first became famous for a memetic TikTok interview and is now reportedly set to have a documentary made on her.
During an appearance on Thursday’s episode of Pardon My Take, Vrabel shared his thoughts on the Belfast, Tennesee native’s sudden newfound fame (1:46:05 to begin):
“I love this, like there are hillbillies in Tennessee… I’m representing her now, and she going to get every dollar she’s supposed to earn. I’m being ethical about this.”
Mike Vrabel discusses his offseason physical activities
While Mike Vrabel’s quest for a new opportunity to coach continues, he has been continuing to stay physically fit.
During his prime, the former linebacker was among the league’s most versatile players. In addition to his usual defensive duties, he would also occasionally play tight end, catching 12 touchdowns (two of them in the Super Bowl). Such versatility required extraordinary physical shape, and he wants to harken back to that era.
In that same interview, Vrabel revealed how he had been working on his golfing and skiing, besides his usual workout routine of push-ups and the like (1:57:31 to begin):
“(My golf game)’s better than what it was last year. I got really good at skiing this year. I mean, I’m a scratch skier. I got fired and I went to the mountain, and I skied. When you go out there, it’s nerve-wracking. Like, there’s fans, a lot. And every ball, you’ve got to putt everything in. And it’s like, no gimmies.”
When asked about his handicap, he said:
“The index would be 8.3 if you looked it up right now.”
Since his firing, he has been serving an advisorial role with the Cleveland Browns. Meanwhile, the Titans have replaced Vrabel with Brian Callahan, who had previously been Zac Taylor’s offensive coordinator at the Cincinnati Bengals.
