Mike Vrabel
Position: Defensive Line Coach Experience: 2nd Year Alma Mater: Ohio State, 2004

Mike Vrabel
Defensive Line

Hometown: Akron, Ohio
High School: Walsh Jesuit
Alma Mater: The Ohio State University, 2004
Year in Coaching: Second (Second year at Ohio State)
Wife: Jennifer
Children: Sons Tyler and Carter

Mike Vrabel, one of the great defensive linemen in the history of the Big Ten Conference, will coach the Ohio State defensive line in 2012 as part of Urban Meyer's first Ohio State coaching staff. Vrabel is in his second season as a collegiate coach after coaching the Ohio State linebackers in 2011.

Vrabel, who has his degree from Ohio State in exercise science, was a dominant performer for the Buckeyes while earning two Big Ten Conference Defensive Lineman of the Year honors (1995 and 1996). He was the first to win the award two times and he also earned back-to-back All-America honors those same seasons.

Vrabel twice set the Ohio State single season record for sacks and tackles for loss (TFL) and he still holds school records for career sacks (36) and single season and career TFLs (26 in 1995 and 66). He ranks third all-time in the Big Ten in sacks and sixth in TFLs.

The Akron, Ohio, native embarked on what would become a distinguished NFL career with three teams following his Ohio State playing days. It was a professional career that saw him a part of the New England Patriots' dynamic run of three Super Bowls in four years (2001, 2003, 2004). In 2007, as a member of the Patriots, he was named to the Pro Bowl and a month later was named All-Pro.

On top of these accomplishments, Vrabel's professional career included 206 games played with Pittsburgh, New England and Kansas City, 140 starts and enough impressive statistics - 57 sacks, 11 interceptions, 17 forced fumbles and 11 touchdowns receiving (as a tight end), including two in Super Bowls - that one has to conclude he is one of the great performers in a team sport that Ohio State has ever produced.

Drafted in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft by Pittsburgh, Vrabel spent four years with the Steelers and played in 51 games. He was a starter for eight seasons with the Patriots, playing in 125 games and starting 110 games. He spent the last two years with Kansas City playing in and starting 30 games.

Vrabel retired from the NFL in July 2011 after 14 years in the league and joined coach Luke Fickell's staff at Ohio State in the role of linebackers coach.

Vrabel, who graduated from Ohio State in 2004, attended Walsh Jesuit High School in Akron. He and his wife, Jennifer, are the parents of two sons: 10-year-old Tyler and 9-year-old Carter.

Mike Vrabel Coaching Experience