Former Denver Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer goes way back with Mike Vrabel. Their history didn’t start in the NFL. It began in college and carried over into the pros. Now, with Vrabel fresh off a season that ended in a Super Bowl loss as the New England Patriots’ head coach, Plummer had praise for the job he’s done on the sideline. But he also revisited an old memory, one where he viewed Vrabel for his dirty plays.

“I got a history with him (Vrabel) back to the Rose Bowl,” Plummer said, during his recent appearance on Johnny Manziel’s podcast. “He was with Ohio State, and they barely snuck one out on us there, beat us, and then I had a little altercation with him in this East-West Shrine game. I thought he was doing a little bit of being a dirty player.”

Plummer, Arizona State’s quarterback, had led the Sun Devils to an undefeated regular season. In the 1997 Rose Bowl, he scored a late go-ahead touchdown, only to see Ohio State, with Vrabel on the defensive line, respond and win 20-17. That loss stung.

But according to Plummer, it was their next meeting at the East-West Shrine Game that left the stronger impression. That’s where the “dirty” label came in. And while there’s no credible record of Vrabel being branded dirty during the Shrine Game, similar accusations surfaced later in his NFL career.

Most notably, in 1999 with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Vrabel was penalized for roughing Cleveland quarterback Tim Couch. We’re talking about a 15-yard penalty that helped set up a Browns game-winning field goal. He was fined $5,000.

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The tension resurfaced in 2007. Vrabel, then with the Patriots, rushed on a play after Browns quarterback Derek Anderson had already spiked the ball. Cleveland lineman Eric Steinbach publicly called the move “classless” and urged the league to fine Vrabel. A year later, Vrabel addressed that broader perception during his final season in New England.

“It’s just like, you know, for a player or anybody, you just can’t throw out accusations,” Vrabel said. “A guy – You come off the field and you win or you lose a game, emotions are very high. There are plays that happen to me, that happen to everybody out there that if you wanted to spin it another way, you could say, man, that was a dirty play. But, I mean, it’s football. There’s going to be some things that happen that aren’t by design, maybe certainly you didn’t want to do, but they happen.”

On the field, Vrabel played as an edge defender who rushed hard and finished through contact. That style naturally put him around quarterbacks and in the middle of collisions, the kind that, if they came late or near the whistle, drew attention.

In 2007, at the peak of that aggressive stretch, he recorded 12.5 sacks, earned a Pro Bowl nod and First-team All-Pro honors, and consistently disrupted plays in the backfield. Now, as the Patriots’ head coach, Vrabel’s identity is different. But for Plummer, that old memory, dating back to college and reinforced by NFL moments, still lingers.

Keeping aside the rivalry, Jake Plummer praises Mike Vrabel’s coaching style

It’s been more than a decade since Jake Plummer and Mike Vrabel last suited up. And whatever edge once defined their on-field battles has long cooled off. The quarterback-versus-pass rusher dynamic and the “dirty play” accusations that came with it are now part of the past. Vrabel has since transitioned fully into coaching and just wrapped up a strong season as the Patriots’ head coach. And despite their history, Plummer had no problem giving credit where it was due.

“All that aside, though, obviously his coaching techniques and his style and then being a player, I think the coaches that were players, they don’t always transfer and become good coaches,” Plummer added. “Just because you’re a great player doesn’t mean you’re going to be a great coach. But he’s found a way.”

That transition didn’t happen quietly. Upon taking over in New England, Vrabel reshaped both the coaching staff and key areas of the roster. The impact showed up quickly. From Week 4 through Week 13, the Patriots rattled off a ten-game winning streak.

In the process, the Patriots’ offense finished third in the NFL, averaging 379.4 yards per game, and ranked second in scoring at 28.8 points per contest. On the other side, the defense kept pace, as New England placed fourth league-wide, allowing just 18.8 points per game.

The postseason didn’t mirror that regular-season dominance, and critics were quick to point to the strength of the schedule. Still, from Plummer’s perspective, Vrabel’s evolution from NFL player to head coach has been smooth and legitimate. Year two in New England will ultimately define the trajectory. But for now, even a former rival acknowledges he’s made it work.