How Mike Vrabel Changed Protocol Inside Patriots Shower Room

After being hired by the Patriots last winter, Mike Vrabel conducted a full organizational audit — including in the shower rooms.

On Tuesday, Go Long! founder and reporter Tyler Dunne published a fascinating story on how much Vrabel needed to clean up after Bill Belichick and Jerod Mayo dragged New England into the abyss. And one of the story’s most fascinating anecdotes is provided at the very beginning.

“The showers were a pigsty,” Dunne wrote. “A scene straight out of a college frat house. His first spring on the job, Mike Vrabel noticed that players were leaving washcloths all over the shower floors and refused to let this slide.

“During a team meeting, the New England Patriots’ new head coach told everyone that the equipment staff is forced pick up all of their dirty washcloths — and that’s unacceptable. The bin of dirty clothes is right there. So, it was pretty simple. Vrabel let players know that he informed the equipment staff not to clean any of those washcloths. Anything left on the ground, that day forward, would only be dried. If they weren’t going to show the equipment staff respect, they didn’t deserve any in return.”

Dunne also quoted two Patriots players who approved of the change.

“If you want to win, you do the small things,” running back Antonio Gibson told Dunne. “We’re grown men. Pick up after yourself.”

Special teamer Brenden Schooler added: “You’re not letting somebody come in your house and leave washcloths over the place. These guys aren’t your nannies.”

Well, there you have it. The Patriots no longer allow their players to leave the shower room in filth.

Now, only if they could clean up some of those penalties and turnovers.