On Tuesday, New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel addressed reporters and spoke about the Dianna Russini controversy for the first time.
When photos of the Patriots head coach and NFL insider Dianna Russini at a resort in Arizona initially surfaced, Vrabel released a statement calling it “laughable” to suggest the photos show anything but a “completely innocent interaction.”
His messaging was very different on Tuesday, with Vrabel admitting that this situation caused “some difficult conversations” with his family, coaches, players, and other members of the organization. Vrabel didn’t say much during his press conference, and now former Patriots quarterback Cam Newton is calling on someone else to come forward and share their thoughts on this controversy: Jen Vrabel, the head coach’s wife, and her adult kids.
Cam Newton Wants to Hear What Jen Vrabel and Her Children Think About Dianna Russini Scandal
During the presser, Vrabel acknowledged that his actions are a distraction to the team.
“We believe that in order to be successful on and off the field, you have to make good decisions,” Vrabel said. “That includes me, that starts with me. We never want our actions to negatively affect the team. We never want to be the cause of a distraction.”
This scandal has become mainstream news that’s virtually inescapable, so this is probably a tough time in the Vrabel household. During the latest episode of his podcast “4th&1,” Newton said that the people he really wants to hear from are Jen and her kids.
“I didn’t want to hear from Mike. We don’t want to hear from Ol’ Mike… We wanted to talk to Jen Vrabel because she’s gonna keep it a buck,” Newton said. “Where does she stand on this matter?
“…As a matter of fact, if you don’t want to talk to Jen, let’s talk to them kids because them kids are grown. ‘Hey pop, you gotta have to come see me. I don’t care what you got going on, but you ain’t gonna embarrass my mama.'”
Mike and Jen first met at Ohio State University in the 1990s when they were both student-athletes. Mike played football, while Jen played volleyball, where she earned two All-Big Ten selections, Academic All-Big Ten honors, and multiple AVCA All-District recognitions.
They first got to know each other during a freshman lecture about time management. According to The Tennessean, she “found him funny enough to ask the professor for his phone number, and they “quickly became inseparable.”
By 1998, Jen had graduated with a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene. A year later, she and Mike were married, just as his NFL career was taking off after being drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1997.
The couple has two sons, Tyler and Carter, both of whom inherited the family’s athletic genes. Tyler played offensive tackle at Boston College and later joined the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad. Carter pursued baseball, playing at multiple collegiate programs, including Tennessee Tech.
Newton made it clear on his podcast that he just wants to “spill the tea,” so it’s clear he’s just digging for gossip. During the same episode, he expressed his disappointment with Vrabel’s press conference due to the lack of new information he revealed.
It seems unlikely that Jen, Tyler, or Carter will speak out about the Russini controversy, as they are all out of the public eye and are likely just waiting for this situation to blow over.
