Asante Samuel, a former teammate of Mike Vrabel, has issued a strong defense of the New England Patriots coach amid the fallout of his Dianna Russini affair scandal.
In a series of strange posts on X on Thursday night, Samuel vouched for Vrabel’s character before revealing his own infidelity to the world.
Samuel wrote: ‘Vrabel is a faithful man. Whatever happened in the past is the past, as of today he is a faithful man. Move on’.
He followed that up by posting: ‘When I had a wife and side chick, the side piece got in her feelings, called the wife, told her everything.
‘Got that call at work, we need to talk. Scary!!!!!! Me: She lying baby…’
Amid backlash to his comments, Samuel hit out and posted: ‘How many of yall are side chick children and still can’t get over it.’
Asante Samuel, second from right, issued a strong defense of ex-teammate Mike Vrabel, right
He also backed Vrabel and the Patriots to go one step further than last season and win the Super Bowl, writing: ‘I can tell the Patriots are winning the Super Bowl this year. It’s going to be an awesome season with all the controversy. Patriots vs Seahawks.’
Samuel and Vrabel were Patriots teammates from 2003 to 2007 after he was drafted by New England in 2003. They won two Super Bowl titles together, in 2004 and 2005, alongside Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.
The 45-year-old Samuel, a cornerback and four-time Pro Bowl selection, also played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons during his career. He is the father of Asante Samuel Jr., who currently plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Vrabel and Russini scandal took a fresh twist on Thursday when video footage emerged of them arriving for their romantic boat trip that allegedly took place just months before she gave birth to her first son.
Russini and Vrabel reportedly hired a vessel for two or three hours in June 2021, when he was still coaching the Tennessee Titans and she was reporting on him for ESPN.
A source with knowledge of the rental said Vrabel and Russini were the only people on board, and that claim was supported by a signed company waiver reviewed by TMZ.
Then, The Daily Mail obtained video footage of the couple walking along the dock of a private rental company near a lake in Putnam County, Tennessee. Russini could be seen strolling a few steps ahead of Vrabel.
But it’s clear that Russini is pregnant at the time of the video when she turns around to speak to Vrabel. The pair were dressed for a day on the water, wearing T-shirts and shorts.
Samuel and Vrabel were Patriots teammates from 2003 to 2007 and won two Super Bowls
Russini and Vrabel’s affair scandal has exploded since they were pictured together at a hotel
Vrabel and Russini were said to be hesitant to have their pictures taken with fans that day. It was also alleged by TMZ that she declined to have a photo taken with fans, while he agreed on the condition that it not be posted online.
Russini went on to give birth to her first of two sons, named Mike, in August 2021. TMZ reported that Russini named him after her brother, Michael Russini, not the now-Patriots coach.
Rumors of an affair between the two began in March when the New York Post published photos of the NFL insider and coach hugging and hanging out poolside at an adults-only Arizona resort.
Although both initially denied cheating on their respective spouses, Vrabel has since apologized for his ‘actions,’ while stopping short of specifically admitting to an affair.
The married father of two adult sons briefly stepped away from the Patriots during April’s NFL Draft to go through counseling with his family.
The Post has since published photos of Vrabel and Russini enjoying breakfast together at the aforementioned Arizona resort and other pictures showing the two kissing at a New York bar, reportedly, in March of 2020.
Russini and her husband, Shake Shack executive Kevin Goldschmidt, were married in September 2020. Vrabel has been married to his wife, Jen, since 1999.
Furthermore, the Daily Mail has also published photos of Vrabel with Russini at a Biloxi, Mississippi, casino in January of 2024.
In April, Vrabel addressed the media and announced he would miss the third day of the NFL Draft to attend a counseling session with his family.
‘I understand that there are questions, but I take accountability for my actions and the actions that caused a distraction to the people that I care most about, my family, this football team, the organization and our fans,’ Vrabel said prior to the first round of the NFL Draft.
‘That’s going to start, that has started, and that’ll continue this weekend and it’ll continue for however long it takes for me to give them and to complete that promise of giving them the best version of me possible.
Vrabel has been married to his wife, Jen, for over two decades and they have two children
Russini and husband Kevin Goldschmidt were married in New Jersey in September of 2020
‘My priorities are my family and this football team – and in that order – and there’s a balance there that I am going to create. My family needs me this weekend and that’s where I’ll be.’
The Russini-Vrabel fallout is still permeating the NFL and The Athletic, where she worked until her recent resignation.
Steven Ginsberg, the executive editor at the website, finally addressed the matter during a late-April meeting with staff by admitting his messaging on the matter could have been better.
He also mentioned the investigation into Russini’s journalism, which was previously reported by the Daily Mail and other outlets. That probe is being led by standards and editorial quality editor Mike Semel and it is expected to be lengthy, according to Front Office Sports.
It comes after Patriots quarterback Drake Maye doubled down on his defense of Vrabel amid reports of the affair.
On Wednesday, Maye called Vrabel ‘a great human being’ and insisted he doesn’t think his off-field problems will be a distraction this upcoming season.
‘No, I don’t,’ Maye said on Wednesday following the Truist Championship Pro-Am in Charlotte, in which he was paired with PGA Tour pro Gary Woodland at Quail Hollow.
‘I mean, he’s our head coach. I think he’s done a great job of talking to us and talking us through it. I’m just looking forward to getting back to work and getting ready.’
