Background and career
Vincent Lamar Wilfork (born November 4, 1981) is an American former professional football defensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the New England Patriots. He is regarded as one of the greatest defensive tackles of all time. Wilfork played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, earning first-team All-Big East honors in 2003. He was selected in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft by the Patriots, where he spent his first 11 seasons. During his New England tenure, Wilfork received five Pro Bowl selections and one first-team All-Pro selection. Wilfork also won two Super Bowl titles. In his final two seasons, Wilfork was a member of the Houston Texans.
Wilfork was born in Boynton Beach, Florida, and attended Santaluces Community High School in nearby Lantana. There, he was a letter winner in football, wrestling, and track and field. In football, he won USA Today's second team All-American honors. In track & field, Wilfork was one of the nation's top performers in the throwing events. He was the Florida Class 4A state champion in the shot put and the discus in 2000. He also holds the Florida state high school record in the shot put with a throw of 68 feet (20.73 m). In the discus event, his top throw was 180 feet (54.86 m).
Wilfork attended the University of Miami, where he played for the Miami Hurricanes football team. He also competed for the Miami Hurricanes track and field team; he held the Miami indoor school record in the shot put until Isaiah Simmons surpassed it in 2013. In his freshman season, Wilfork did not start but played in every game as a defensive tackle, finishing 10th on the team in tackles with 41 while also recording a sack and forcing three fumbles. Wilfork did not start a game in his 2002 sophomore season either, but still recorded 43 tackles and seven sacks. Before the 2003 season, Wilfork was rated the second best defensive tackle in the country by The Sporting News and went on to start all 13 games for Miami. He finished the year with a career-high 64 tackles and led the team with 20 quarterback hurries. He was named to the All-Big East Conference first-team following the season, which would prove to be his last in Miami as he decided to forgo his senior season and enter the 2004 NFL draft. Wilfork was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.
Wilfork was ranked by most in the media as the second best defensive tackle prospect in the 2004 NFL draft behind only Tommie Harris. Although regarded as a top-10 talent, Wilfork was criticized for lackadaisical effort during his junior season. Wilfork drew comparisons to fellow Miami alumnus Warren Sapp, and was selected in the first round (21st overall) by the New England Patriots. He was the highest selected Miami Hurricane defensive tackle since Damione Lewis in 2001.
In his rookie 2004 season with the Patriots, he compiled two sacks, 42 tackles, and three deflected passes. Wilfork saw considerable playing time during his rookie season, sharing the nose tackle position with veteran Keith Traylor and started Super Bowl XXXIX against the Philadelphia Eagles, a Patriots victory. Following Traylor's release, Wilfork had a career-high 54 tackles in 2005 and started all 16 games; however, the defending champions were eliminated in the second round of playoffs by the Denver Broncos. In 2006, Wilfork finished the season with 50 tackles, appearing in 13 games.
In the 2007 season, Wilfork finished the season with 48 tackles and two sacks, was selected to the 2008 Pro Bowl, and was named as a second-team All-Pro selection. Wilfork was fined a total of four times by the NFL in the 2007 season. In the third game of the season he was fined $12,500 by the NFL for his hit on Buffalo Bills quarterback J. P. Losman. This was appealed to the NFL and reduced to $2,500. In an October 14 game against the Dallas Cowboys, Wilfork was fined $5,000 for drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct foul when he tangled with Cowboys tight end Jason Witten. In the last game of the regular 2007 season, Wilfork placed his finger in the facemask of New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs after a play in the second quarter. He was fined $15,000. He was also fined $5,000 for a 15-yard face-mask penalty called in the AFC Championship Game against the San Diego Chargers, while attempting to tackle running back Michael Turner. Wilfork's string of fines continued into the 2008 season, when in an October 20 game against the Denver Broncos Wilfork appeared to elbow Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler in the head after a play. Wilfork met with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in the days following the game and reportedly faced a one-game suspension, but after Wilfork explained his manner of playing to Goodell only a fine was imposed. Wilfork finished the 2008 season with a career-high 66 tackles, while recording two sacks. In 2008, he was also named for the first time a defensive captain, by his teammates.
