WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Mike Vrabel stood behind a stand full of microphones and recorders on Tuesday as an established figure in the NFL.

However, he took a moment to reflect on the place where his football success really took off — Walsh Jesuit High School.

"Well, I think that's where the foundation was," the Akron native and Browns coaching and personnel consultant said at The Greenbrier. "I mean, (former Walsh Jesuit head coach) Gerry Rardin was and is a good mentor for me, my high school football coach who's still a part of that school. But I think that's where the foundation is laid in, in that education there, the community at Walsh and everything that it  provided me. And as I went on into Ohio State and ultimately the NFL, so excited to be back in this area, that's going to allow for me to be around a little bit more often and enjoy some of those things at the school."

One of those things will occur Sept. 13, when Walsh Jesuit plays host to St. Ignatius. On that night, Vrabel will have his high school football jersey number, No. 84, retired.

Prior to that, during Walsh Jesuit's Alumni Weekend Aug. 9-10, Vrabel will also received the Distinguished Alumni Award from his alma mater. He is a 1993 graduate of the school, and was previously enshrined into the Walsh Jesuit Athletics Hall of Fame.

Vrabel starred collegiately at Ohio State and then played 14 season in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs.

Vrabel spent time as an assistant at Ohio State before going to the Houston Texans to begin his NFL coaching career in 2014. He was hired as Tennessee Titans head coach in 2018, and he spent seven seasons there before being fired in January.

After being fired by the Titans, Vrabel was hired in March in a consulting role with the Browns, the team for which he grew up rooting in Northeast Ohio.

"Certainly grew up a Browns fan, went to games and loved a lot of those former players that made this tradition great," Vrabel said Tuesday. "You recognize how huge the fan base is in this area and how they embrace football — and not only professional football, but high school football in this area and college football. And so it's certainly a football town."

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Mike Vrabel, now with Browns, talks Walsh Jesuit, jersey retirement