Vince Wilfork remains hungry

FOXBORO -- He arrived at the height of the Patriots dynasty, accustomed already to championship games, having twice played for national titles while at the University of Miami (winning one).

In Vince Wilfork's rookie season with the Patriots in 2004, New England won its third Super Bowl title in four years.

The big defensive tackle never took the celebrations for granted. He always knew winning was hard.

Now a 33-year-old father figure who likens watching young Patriots linebackers Jamie Collins and Dont'a Hightower to watching "younger brothers or my kids grow up," Wilfork still reaches for a second Super Bowl ring.

Big Vince is again getting close. This coming Sunday night against the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium, Wilfork will be suited up for his sixth AFC title game. The winner moves on to Super Bowl XLIX in Glendale, Ariz., on Feb. 1.

"As far as having experience in this game, one thing I always try to do is try to treat it like a regular game," Wilfork said about preparing for yet another AFC title game.

"You want to look at it as the next game," Wilfork later added. "But the only thing with that is you lose (this game), you go home. And I don't think anybody in this locker room wants to go home."

The Patriots have reached the AFC title game for the fourth straight year, having lost the last two. This will be New England's ninth AFC title game appearance of the Brady-Belichick Era (5-3 record).

This one comes 15 months after Wilfork underwent surgery for a torn Achilles tendon that reduced him to spiritual sideline leader during the Patriots' AFC title game loss in Denver last January.

Wilfork has not made a big deal about a 6-foot-2, 325-pounder on the wrong side of 30 coming back from an Achilles injury. He has left that to us; all who speculated his injury might be a career-ender. Coach Bill Belichick apparently had his doubts. A contentious contract restructuring last March had Wilfork requesting the team release him. An incentive-laden deal was then hammered out -- and Wilfork reached all the incentives. He has started all 17 games and played more than 70 percent of New England's defensive snaps in his 11th NFL season, while being a team captain for the seventh straight year. All of which Wilfork chalks up to, "I'm a football player."

"I wasn't surprised that I can play and be effective at this level," Wilfork said last week. "Health was never an issue with me this year ... My goal was just getting back on this team and helping my teammates win, and we've done a lot of that around here."

Wilfork was the Patriots' top draft pick in 2004, the 21st overall selection, and the sixth Miami Hurricane taken that year after safety Sean Taylor (5th overall, Redskins), tight end Kellen Winslow (6th, Browns), linebacker Jonathan Vilma (12th, Jets), linebacker D.J. Williams (17th, Broncos) and offensive tackle Vernon Carey (19th, Dolphins).

Wilfork, who in 2002 had lost both his parents to health ailments, was undaunted about joining the reigning Super Bowl champs, who just lost massive nose tackle Ted Washington in free agency.

At the time he was drafted, Wilfork said, "I know what it's like for a team to come out and talk trash and try to throw you off your game. I know what that's about because at the University of Miami we get that year after year."

Wilfork is now a five-time Pro Bowler with one Super Bowl ring. The five Hurricanes drafted ahead of him in 2004 have totaled six Pro Bowls and one ring (though Taylor being murdered in 2007 almost certainly affected that Pro Bowl total). Wilfork and Bears linebacker Williams were the only players from that Miami first-round class still in the NFL this season.

Wilfork's only remaining teammate from his rookie season is Tom Brady, who was then a fifth-year Patriot.

Most of Wilfork's trash talking now is aimed at the Patriots' quarterback at practice.

"I'm in his ear. He's in my ear," Wilfork said. "But at the same time, we make practice live, we make practice competitive, because we try to get it as close to the game as possible ... We've been so successful around here doing that."


(lowellsun.com)