FOXBOROUGH — Though Jack Gibbens has multiple college degrees, the Patriots linebacker never attended medical school.
That didn’t stop Mike Vrabel from dubbing him “Dr. Gibby.”
As the Patriots work to figure out their best alignments, the 26-year-old‘s defensive snap count has risen in back-to-back weeks. Always a core special teamer, Gibbens clocked a season-high 53 total snaps in Sunday’s win over the Panthers with a team-high 12 tackles.
Patriots coaches are growing more comfortable relying on an unheralded linebacker that years ago earned his doctorate from Vrabel University.
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The “Dr. Gibby” nickname dates back to Titans rookie minicamp in 2022.
Vrabel is notorious for quizzing individual members of his team during meetings. Players need to come prepared and keep their heads on a swivel because Vrabel could call their number at any time.
“He just likes to make sure that everybody knows what they’re doing so we can get it covered again if we need to, but also, just build confidence in your teammates,” Gibbens said. “When he’s asking questions and they’re able to answer it clearly and confidently, it makes you trust the guys around you more. So I like it. It just makes sure we’re all on the same page.
“He’s not really trying to trick people,” Gibbens added. “He’s just trying to make sure that we know (our) stuff. He’s not going to ask you something that you shouldn’t know.”
When Vrabel put the young linebacker on the spot for the first time in Tennessee, Gibbens responded with multiple correct answers.
“All right, Dr. Gibby,” Vrabel cracked, bestowing the honorary doctorate.
There was some initial confusion among Titans players. Gibbens assumed Vrabel was joking, but teammates asked if he was actually a doctor. Though Gibbens double majored in finance and accounting at Abilene Christian and then earned a master’s in accounting from Minnesota, he wasn’t a surgeon of any kind. Just a well-prepared linebacker.
“It’s a joke. You can laugh,” Vrabel said.
Though it originated as a Vrabel one-liner, the nickname stuck. Vrabel is still dropping “Dr. Gibby” in Foxborough, and Gibbens has continued to earn the respect of those around him with his studiousness.
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Gibbens’ path to an NFL career wasn’t without adversity.
Vrabel cut the undrafted free agent at the end of his first training camp and re-signed him to the Titans practice squad two weeks later. Gibbens kept improving, earned a spot on the 53-man roster by December, and was starting games for Vrabel in his second season.
A free agent this spring, Vrabel brought Gibbens to Foxborough as he lays a new foundation.
The linebacker’s presence was felt immediately behind the scenes. Gibbens’ positional coach, Zak Kuhr used the word “great” six times to describe what it’s been like coaching him.
“He’s a smart guy,” Kuhr said. “Great leader. Great teammate. Great friend. Great husband. Great father. He’s a great guy to have. Good energy. Can catch issues within a call and help fix them. He’s basically like another coach in the room.”
Another of the defense’s most cerebral players, Marte Mapu, echoed Kuhr’s point about Gibbens’ intelligence. Beyond the meeting room, Mapu has seen it translate to practice.
“Super smart,” Mapu said. “He’s been in the system before, but you can tell, he’s got a good amount of football IQ. Whether that comes from experience or him spending a lot of time in the film room, he just knows a lot about what he’s doing. He’s able to break down plays while they’re being installed.
“Like during practice, we don’t even have to be going through the play and he can just come up with one in his head. Something that could be a problem or something like an ideal situation too. Something to look out for.”
Still, Gibbens doesn’t carry himself as a know-it-all. He won’t hesitate to raise his hand when he’s unsure of something.
“When he doesn’t know and it’s a question, then he’ll propose it as a question,” Mapu said. “But if it’s something that he knows, then he knows. He also remembers some stuff that has popped up in the past.”
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Now in his fourth NFL season and third under Vrabel, Gibbens still usually knows the answers to the coach’s quizzes, but isn’t as tense as he was that day at rookie minicamp. He’s diligent with his preparation and understands why Vrabel keeps players on their toes.
“I definitely have a little bit more confidence than I did when I was younger,” Gibbens said. “Not quite as nervous. But now I see it from the coaching perspective: You build trust, especially a young guy, if he knows what he’s doing out there and he’s able to answer those questions and he sounds confident, it helps you trust those guys quicker for sure.”
Now a veteran with more experience than almost anyone in Vrabel’s system, Gibbens’ teammates know where to turn with any questions of their own when the doctor is in.
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