Vince Wilfork’s respect for Andre Johnson deep

FOXBORO — It’s been 10 years since Vince Wilfork [stats] shared a practice field and won a national championship with Andre Johnson at Miami, but he remembers it like it was yesterday.

Though the pair played on opposite sides of the ball, Wilfork admired the wideout. And his tune remains the same today.

“That’s a guy, when you talk about a team player, he has the heart of a champion,” said Wilfork, heading into Monday’s matchup with Johnson’s Houston Texans [team stats]. “He’s very quiet, doesn’t say much. I just remember playing with him in college, he was always quiet. But he was a fireball on the field. He’d give it his all. He’d play hurt. He’s a tough, tough football player. That’s one thing I always look back when playing with him and seeing him 10 years later in the NFL, still doing it. He has a lot to be proud of.”

Wilfork played with Johnson in the 2001 and 2002 seasons. Their teams went 24-1, beating Nebraska for the BCS National Championship in January 2002. (Johnson was named the Rose Bowl co-MVP.) As a freshman, Wilfork didn’t start but played in every game, finishing with 41 tackles, a sack and three forced fumbles. Johnson, a sophomore, led Miami in receiving with 682 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Wilfork, like Johnson, entered the NFL after his junior season and found instant success. The Patriots [team stats] defensive tackle, in nine seasons, has earned four Pro Bowl and All-Pro bids. Johnson, in 10 seasons, has been selected to the Pro Bowl five times and to the All-Pro team four.

This season, Johnson is fourth in the NFL with 1,114 receiving yards. Slowed by injuries in the first half of the season, Johnson — says Texans quarterback Matt Schaub — is playing like himself again. The past five games, he’s hauled in 40 passes for 670 yards.

“I’ve said before you know, he’s really feeling like he’s hitting his stride and he really feels like he’s getting back to the Andre of old,” said Schaub. “I think you’ve seen it the past few weeks or months, some of the games that he’s had that were against Jacksonville and Detroit. He really is continuing to play at a very, very high level.”

Though Wilfork praised Johnson’s heart on the field, the wideout is one of the league’s most caring off of the gridiron as well. This week, he donated more than $19,000 for a Christmas shopping spree at Toys “R” Us to 12 children, selected by Child Protective Services.

“They have a great, great guy in Andre Johnson,” said Wilfork. “He’s a specimen. He’s special.”


(bostonherald.com)