:: proCanes

Vince Wilfork Update

Jun/05/07 10:24 AM | Permalink

Nose tackle Vince Wilfork seems to be relishing his role with top draft picks Brandon Meriweather and Kareem Brown, both of whom he played with at the University of Miami. "I'm basically like the big brother and the dad to them," said Wilfork. "I definitely have to look out for them. There is going to be a time I have to turn them loose, but for now they're under my wing."

(boston.com)

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Vet raising ’Canes: Wilfork ready to mentor rookies

May/14/07 11:55 AM | Permalink

FOXBORO - Big brother already has given the boys a lecture. He’s already offered up a quick course in Patriots [team stats] 101. And you better believe when Vince Wilfork [stats] talked, Brandon Meriweather and Kareem Brown listened.

Given the three share a bond in coming from the University of Miami, it was natural for Meriweather and Brown to seek advice from a fellow Hurricane. And, given Wilfork’s nature, he wasn’t shy about delivering nothing but the facts. He wasn’t going to tip-toe around the basics, or the truth.

“Both the guys I gave the same speech. So, they understand what we expect out of them. They understand what I expect out of them,” Wilfork said Saturday night before participating in Kevin Faulk [stats]’s charity softball game. “They know what I’m talking about. Get ready to win ball games.

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Ex-Hurricanes tackle/end gets in line behind the best

May/14/07 11:41 AM | Permalink

FOXBORO— The Patriots have one of the league’s best starting defensive lines, and fourth-round draft pick Kareem Brown is here to learn from the Richard Seymour-Vince Wilfork-Ty Warren trio while also solidifying a spot for himself on the New England roster.

“The Patriots wouldn’t have drafted me if they didn’t see something in me,” Brown said yesterday on the first day of rookie minicamp at Gillette Stadium. “I’m here to do a job. I’m going to learn from Seymour and Warren and Vince, and I’m going to take everything I can from them.”

Brown, the University of Miami’s 2006 Defensive Player of the Year, already has spent a lot of time talking to fellow former Hurricane Wilfork.

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Wilfork out to sack diabetes: Memory of dad motivates

Apr/28/07 11:42 AM | Permalink

Plenty of athletes do charity work, but few support a cause that hits as close to home as diabetes does for Vince Wilfork [stats].

Wilfork lost his father David to the disease in 2002 after watching it ravage his body for 15 years. The Patriots [team stats] nose tackle has since devoted his charitable efforts to finding a cure, and tomorrow will host his biggest fund-raiser of the year, a draft party at Pinz bowling alley in Milford, with proceeds benefiting the Diabetes Research Institute.

“My father suffered the last 15 years of his life with diabetes,” Wilfork said. “Growing up, having to see my father give himself insulin, on dialysis, catheters everywhere - the one thing I can do is give back.”

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Wilfork’s worthy cause

Apr/11/07 07:37 PM | Permalink

A reminder that Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork is hosting his fourth annual draft party for diabetes research on Saturday, April 28 from noon to 6 at Pinz in Milford. Wilfork will be on hand all day — along with Greg Dickerson and Gary Tanguay of FoxSports — to sign autographs, analyze the draft, and mingle with guests. There will be free food, a cash bar, a Madden Playstation tournament, and a bowling tournament. Tickets are $40 for adult and $20 for children 12 and under. Tickets can be ordered by calling (617) 268-0001, e-mailing draftdaytix@sportsidentity.com, or by visiting Wilfork’s web site, vincewilfork75.com.

For those who can’t attend, Wilfork is still accepting donations for the Diabetes Research Institute. The cause means a lot to him, because he lost his father David to the disease in 2002 at age 48.

“Every donation helps,” Wilfork said. “There are so many people in the world suffering from diabetes. If there is a chance I can prevent someone from going through what I saw my father go through, I want to help.”

(bostonherald.com)

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Wilfork Q&A

Apr/09/07 01:19 PM | Permalink

MILFORD -- Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork stopped by Pinz in Milford, Mass., earlier this week, promoting his fourth-annual NFL Draft party with his wife Bianca. The party is scheduled for Saturday, April 28 at Pinz, with proceeds to benefit diabetes research. More information can be found at Wilfork’s website.

Five questions with Wilfork:

What do you have in store for this year’s draft party? “This is our fourth annual draft-day party and every year it’s getting better and better. We’re excited to have it here, which we think is a great spot so a lot of people don’t have to drive to Boston or Rhode Island. I’m not sure who it will be, because it is an off period for us, but some other players will be here. I know growing up as a kid, I always wished I could meet NFL players, so I think that’s a good part of it, because we’ll be here having a good time. In the end, I'm just the football player. [Bianca] is the brains behind this.”

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Vince Wilfork Update

Jan/15/07 02:34 PM | Permalink

Nose tackle Vince Wilfork was awarded the wrestling championship belt by his fellow linemen for his performance against the Jets. Wilfork actually had two belts hanging in his locker yesterday, as the linemen continue to honor the player who plays the best each game.

(boston.com)

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Vince Wilfork needs to catch his breath, then catch LaDainian Tomlinson

Jan/08/07 07:06 PM | Permalink

FOXBORO, Mass. (AP) - If Vince Wilfork is going to be the star of the New England Patriots' next playoff game, it will be by stopping the run, not making it.

The Patriots nose tackle lumbered 31 yards on a fumble return that helped New England put the New York Jets away in the first round of the playoffs. In Round 2, though, Wilfork will be back to work clogging up the middle of the field as the Patriots try to stop the San Diego Chargers and NFL MVP LaDainian Tomlinson.

"He's the MVP. I don't know how you could be any more complete than that," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said Monday. "He's looked pretty good to me, unfortunately, every time we've seen him. We're usually looking at the back of his jersey. We haven't done very well against him. He's killed a lot of people besides us, and he's killed us."

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For Patriots' Wilfork, TD `a long way away'

Jan/08/07 07:08 AM | Permalink

When former University of Miami defensive lineman Vince Wilfork picked up that loose ball at the 46-yard line he looked up toward the horizon.

'I saw the end zone and said, `Man that's a long way away,' '' the 325-pounder said Sunday.

Wilfork managed to rumble for 31 yards before being caught from behind by New York receiver Jerricho Cotchery.

''Man, I thought I was really moving,'' said Wilfork, who initially hesitated before taking off down the field. ``If I had started running right away I might have got there. I'm going to get a lot of heat from [teammates] for getting caught from behind. But it was one of their fast little guys that caught me.''
Wilfork vows he will use this as a learning experience.

''I'll study the tape and look to see what I did wrong,'' Wilfork said. ``I'll study myself and try to improve my running style.''

(herald.com)

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Vince’s sprint looms big: Pats nose tackle stays on his toes on return

Jan/08/07 07:04 AM | Permalink

FOXBORO - The ball was just sitting there, like the last baked potato at a crowded dinner table, and Vince Wilfork [stats] did what any 325-pound man would have done. He wrapped his hands around the prize.

And he ran like hell.

So it was yesterday at Gillette Stadium, where the net result was this: The nose tackle for the Patriots [team stats] finished with roughly half as many yards on the ground as all of the New York Jets [team stats]. The totals were 31 for Wilfork, 70 for New York, and that was a very big reason the final score in the season’s last game at The Razor told a very happy tale:

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PATRIOTS NOTEBOOK: Wilfork anxious to play, but quiet on subject

Jan/07/07 01:47 PM | Permalink

FOXBORO — Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, who missed the final three games of the regular season because of an injured right ankle, spoke yesterday for the first time since getting hurt on Dec. 10 against the Miami Dolphins.

"You guys will be surprised just like I'll be surprised," Wilfork said in coy fashion in response to a question about his playing status for tomorrow.

"I can't tell you. It ain't me. It's all on the head man. You have to talk to him about it for a player, now. I have no idea. I can only do what I can do. I'm doing the little things but not as much as I need to do to be playing."

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Wilfork looks good to go: NT expects to return vs. Titans

Dec/30/06 09:45 AM | Permalink

FOXBORO - Nose tackle Vince Wilfork [stats] is expected to play tomorrow when the Patriots [team stats] visit Tennessee for their regular-season finale.

Wilfork’s travel bag was packed and he practiced for the third straight day. The Pro Bowl-caliber tackle has missed the last two games after spraining his right ankle against the Dolphins.

Though it’s unlikely Wilfork will see his usual number of snaps in the middle of the team’s 3-4 defense, just getting him back on the field will provide a boost, as well as ensure that he doesn’t open the playoffs next weekend rusty after having not played in a month.

Second-year pro Mike Wright has played well in Wilfork’s absence and was particularly effective against the Jaguars last Sunday. Save for a 74-yard touchdown run by Maurice Jones-Drew on a broken play, the Jags barely averaged 3 yards a carry.

Still, the Pats are clearly better off with Wilfork in the lineup and Wright working in a support role. That should once again be the case tomorrow.

(bostonherald.com)

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Wilfork, Watson are out

Dec/24/06 09:29 AM | Permalink

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- If the Patriots are going to slow down the Jacksonville Jaguars' second-rated rushing attack (163.1 yards per game), they're going to have to do it without Vince Wilfork.

The nose tackle, who is nursing a right ankle injury, has been downgraded to out for today's game against the Jaguars, along with tight end Benjamin Watson and right tackle Ryan O'Callaghan.

Wilfork and Watson (left knee) were both injured during the Patriots' 21-0 loss to the Miami Dolphins Dec. 10 and will miss their second straight game. O'Callaghan (neck ) will be inactive for the fourth straight game.

(boston.com)

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Pros give props to preps

Dec/21/06 11:44 AM | Permalink

Each issue, Hot Shots asks a professional athlete for their favorite high school memory. This issue: Patriots [team stats] defensive lineman Vince Wilfork [stats].

Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork was more than a football player in high school. He also broke the Florida state record in the shot put -- throwing 68 feet -- in his time at Santaluces High. But it was clear his future was on the gridiron, and that’s where his scholarship came from, courtesy of the University of Miami.

Wilfork displayed impressive athleticism on the football field, leading the Santaluces coaches to play him not only on the defensive

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PATRIOTS NOTEBOOK ; Wilfork Not Likely to Play

Dec/15/06 12:13 AM | Permalink

FOXBORO - The Patriots are preparing to face Houston this weekend without standout nose tackle Vince Wilfork, who sprained his ankle Sunday in Miami.

Wilfork is listed as questionable on the injury report but, according to a source, he is unlikely to play as a precautionary measure.

If Wilfork can't go, he'll be replaced by second-year pro Mike Wright, an undrafted free agent out of Cincinnati who has worked his way into the defensive line rotation.

"Vince is Vince. There's only one," defensive end Ty Warren said yesterday. "But Mike, he's been around here two years. We expect and the coaches expect and I'm sure he expects himself to go out there and help the best way he can."

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Wilfork not likely to play

Dec/14/06 01:47 AM | Permalink

FOXBORO - The Patriots [team stats] are preparing to face Houston this weekend without standout nose tackle Vince Wilfork [stats], who sprained his ankle Sunday in Miami.

Wilfork is listed as questionable on the injury report but, according to a source, he is unlikely to play as a precautionary measure.

If Wilfork can’t go, he’ll be replaced by second-year pro Mike Wright, an undrafted free agent out of Cincinnati who has worked his way into the defensive line rotation.

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What can Wilfork do for you?

Dec/13/06 12:57 AM | Permalink

At the heart of the Patriots defense, which ranks third in the NFL at stopping the run, is its defensive line. The anchor of the Patriots defensive line - and at 325 pounds, he’s a fitting one – is nose tackle Vince Wilfork. He’s appeared in every game the Patriots have played since entering the league in 2004.

Like most nose tackles in the NFL, his numbers on paper aren’t dramatically impressive. He’s recorded four quarterback hurries, a pass defensed and a sack this season.

What matters to the team is what Wilfork does for everyone else.

Take the way fellow defensive lineman Ty Warren described his most recent sack, which happened three defensive plays into Sunday’s game, as an example.

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Wilfork’s loss would hurt big

Dec/12/06 09:07 AM | Permalink

FOXBORO - As far as playoff seeding goes, the Patriots’ 21-0 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday was mighty costly. The Pats can only hope that’s the only way they’ll be paying for it.

Both tight end Benjamin Watson and nose tackle Vince Wilfork went down in the third quarter with leg injuries, and neither returned.

Neither was in the locker room yesterday.

“It’s the Monday after the game,” Pats coach Bill Belichick yesterday said. “Everybody’s sore, everybody’s getting treatment. We’ll see where we are on Wednesday. The crystal ball’s a little cloudy today.”

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Practically in-Vince-ible: Wilfork the ideal nose

Dec/08/06 07:06 AM | Permalink

FOXBORO - Fans look at Vince Wilfork and see a fat guy.

NFL types look at Vince Wilfork and see Terrell Owens.

Sounds crazy, but it’s not. In a league full of freakish athletes, Wilfork may be the most unique of all. He’s built like Ted Washington, moves like Warren Sapp and reads offenses like Tedy Bruschi.

He’s literally and figuratively in the middle of everything the Patriots do defensively, ranking seventh with 46 tackles despite working as a glorified offensive lineman for linebackers Bruschi and Mike Vrabel. Head coach Bill Belichick could not design a more ideal 3-4 nose tackle in Dr. Frankenstein’s lab.

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Vince Wilfork Update

Nov/28/06 09:38 AM | Permalink

DOWN AND DIRTY: Right tackle Fred Miller is hopeful the league will review the hit he took from Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork following Rex Grossman's second interception. Miller was well away from the play and was not involved when Wilfork blindsided him. In meetings with officials this summer, they emphasized such hits would be deemed illegal in hoping to avoid the kind of gruesome hip injury suffered by Green Bay's Chad Clifton when Tampa Bay's Warren Sapp clobbered him on a change-of-possession play away from the ball several years ago.

''It was a [cheap] shot,'' said Miller, who injured his right knee on the play.

''I thought he was totally behind me [making it illegal] as well, and the ref was standing right there. What can you do?''

(suntimes.com)

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Wilfork has right stuff to stop the run

Oct/12/06 08:41 AM | Permalink

FOXBOROUGH -- Nose tackle Vince Wilfork said there is one statistic he uses to gauge his performance: rushing yards allowed.

Forget about his tackles (20) and sacks (1). Wilfork, in his third season, takes the most pride in helping shut down running backs.

``Not allowing a 100-yard rusher, that's a pretty good stat I can live with," he said.

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Wilfork learns how to get better

Aug/28/06 08:09 AM | Permalink

In his two seasons as a starting nose tackle with the New England Patriots, Vince Wilfork has known nothing but success.

The 24-year-old from Miami started as a rookie on the Super Bowl XXXIX title team and last season led all Patriots defensive linemen in tackles and was second on the team overall. With such a positive career path, you'd think Wilfork could rest on his laurels a bit and be happy.

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Changed Wilfork leads 'D'

Aug/27/06 10:52 AM | Permalink

FOXBORO - Vince Wilfork describes himself as a "hands-on guy," which is a much more beneficial approach for a chiropractor than a nose tackle.

Wilfork's aggressiveness actually limited his production during the first half of the 2005 season. He lined up too close to the ball at the line of scrimmage, therefore he couldn't properly read plays before the snap.