Before the Patriots took the field for their first padded practice of the new season, Vrabel was asked to recall his first day in full pads as a Steelers rookie in 1997, during which he got into it with a Pittsburgh tight end.

And back in 1997, when Vrabel was a third-round pick by the Steelers trying to make a positive first impression as a rookie, things didn’t go the way he wanted them to. The former Ohio State standout got into a fight on the first day of padded practice.

FOXBOROUGH — In his first padded practice as an NFL player in 1997, Mike Vrabel said he fought tight end Mitch Lyons at Pittsburgh Steelers training camp. With almost 30 more years of age and experience, Vrabel wants his current players to avoid punching their teammates.