Update 10/21/2023: Full ceremony: Dante Scarnecchia, Mike Vrabel inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame
Franchise greats Dante Scarnecchia and Mike Vrabel are officially the 33rd and 34th inductees into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame. The long-time assistant coach and former linebacker were inducted on Saturday, in a two-hour ceremony at Gillette Stadium.
The event was a stroll down memory lane. From Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick honoring both, to Scarnecchia being part of a panel featuring former O-linemen Matt Light, Dan Koppen, Sebastian Vollmer and Nate Solder, and Vrabel talking on stage with ex-teammates Ted Johnson, Richard Seymour, Drew Bledsoe as well as former Patriots defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel.
The center stage, of course, was taken by the Scarnecchia and Vrabel themselves. Both delivered speeches about their time in New England, and both have now entered the hallowed halls of Patriots football.
Original story 10/21/2023: Watch live: Dante Scarnecchia, Mike Vrabel get inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame
The New England Patriots will honor two franchise greats on Saturday. Long-time assistant coach Dante Scarnecchia and linebacker Mike Vrabel will officially get inducted into the team Hall of Fame at 12 p.m. ET.
Traditionally, the ceremony would take place on the Gillette Stadium plaza next to The Hall and be free to attend. However, the weather outlook forced the organizers to move the event indoors and close it to the general public; only Patriots alumni, invited guests, and a limited number of fans will be in attendance.
The ceremony will also be streamed live at patriots.com and the team’s social media channels, and you will also be able to watch it right here.
Dante Scarnecchia has spent 34 seasons with the organization over three separate stints (1982-88, 1991-2013, 2016-19) and as offensive line coach helped bring five Super Bowls to New England. The fourth contributor to join the Hall of Fame, owner Robert Kraft hand-picked the 75-year-old in April.
Mike Vrabel was part of the Patriots’ first three Super Bowl teams. Appearing in a combined 142 regular season and playoff games over an eight-year span, he became a founding member of the team’s dynasty. Vrabel ended his career with the team with 56 sacks, 16 forced fumbles and 11 interceptions. He also became one of the most efficient pass catchers in league history: he caught 10 passes for 10 touchdowns as a part-time tight end.
Scarnecchia and Vrabel will become the 33rd and 34th inductees into the Patriots Hall of Fame on Saturday.