Santa Clara, California — 

Mike Vrabel made his name in the NFL as a crunching outside linebacker, delivering punishment to opposing offenses and blowing up their plays on his way to winning multiple Super Bowl titles with the New England Patriots.

Now, 15 years after retiring, he’s still getting physical for the Pats – though maybe not in the way most would anticipate.

One of the defining images of this Super Bowl run for Patriots fans will be a bloodied Vrabel, grinning after a celebratory headbutt from Milton Williams after a fourth-down sack that sealed a wild card win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

Williams had just blown up the Chargers’ last-gasp comeback attempt and charged over to his head coach, getting a massive bear hug from Vrabel. Williams then instinctively delivered the prototypical football celebration – a headbutt – but completely forgot that his head coach no longer wears a helmet.