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Patriots Defender Takes Shot at Previous Coaching Staff

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nelson Hubbell | Last updated Jun 11, 2025 2:15 PM ET

The New England Patriots finished team practices for their mandatory minicamp yesterday with several players speaking to the media. One young defender had a lot to say about the previous coaching staff under Jerod Mayo.

It was defensive end Keion White, the second-round pick out of Georgia Tech back in 2023. White tallied five sacks in a backup role last season, but felt like he was learning on his own in a crucial second year. He did not hold back.

"I was training myself, I’m not going to lie... Now, I feel like I have a coach,” White said.

White went on to praise new outside linebackers coach Mike Smith, who was brought in when Mike Vrabel was hired as the new head coach. Smith played in the NFL for three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens (2005-2008) and has been coaching ever since.

"He’s (Smith) doing a good job of saying, ‘This is what you did,’ ‘This is your thought process.’ And that’s something I don’t think I had before and what I was missing," White explained.

The young linebacker even compared Vrabel to Bill Belichick, who drafted White and coached him during the 2023 season, but went on to praise Vrabel even further.

"I like Mike (Vrabel). He leads with work. I can respect that... It’s similar to Bill (Belichick)," White said. "It’s comforting to know that you have a hard-[expletive] at the helm who will not be afraid to fistfight with you in a back alley."

The entire vibe around the New England organization is trending positive with new additions at every level of the organization. Now it is time to wait and see if the results on the field will reflect the perceived improvements.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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