Vince Wilfork
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| New England Patriots — No. 75 | |
| Defensive tackle | |
| Date of birth: November 4, 1981 | |
| Place of birth: Boynton Beach, Florida | |
| Height: 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | Weight: 325 lb (147 kg) |
| National Football League debut | |
|---|---|
| 2004 for the New England Patriots | |
| Career history | |
| College: Miami (Fla.) | |
| NFL Draft: 2004 / Round: 1 / Pick: 21 | |
Teams:
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| Career highlights and awards | |
| Selected NFL statistics (through Week 17 of the 2007 NFL season) |
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| Tackles | 194 |
| Sacks | 5.5 |
| INTs | 0 |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
Vincent Lamar Wilfork (born November 4, 1981 in Boynton Beach, Florida) is an American football player who currently plays for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Patriots in the first round (21st overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at the University of Miami.
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[edit] Early life
Wilfork attended Santaluces High School in Palm Beach County, Florida and was a letter winner in both football and track and field. In football, he won USA Today's second team All-American honors. In track and field, he was the Florida Class 4A state champion in the shot put and the discus in 2000.[1] He also holds the Florida state high school record in the shot put with a throw of 68 feet.[2]
[edit] College career
Wilfork attended the University of Miami and was a star in both football and track and field (shot put). In football, he finished his career with fourteen sacks, 148 tackles (37.5 for losses), five forced fumbles, and had three fumble recoveries. In track, he holds the Miami indoor school record in the shot put.
He majored in liberal arts.
Late in his college career, both of Wilfork's parents, Barbara and David Wilfork, died in their late forties of natural causes within a few months of each other.
[edit] NFL career
The Patriots drafted Wilfork with the 21st overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. In his rookie season with the Patriots, he compiled two sacks, 27 tackles, and three deflected passes. Wilfork saw considerable playing time during his rookie season, and helped the Patriots get back to the Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles in February, 2005.
Wilfork had a career-high 91 tackles in 2005; however, the defending champions were eliminated in the second round of playoffs by the Denver Broncos. In the first round of the playoffs, New England, playing at home, defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars. In 2006, Wilfork finished the season with 81 tackles. In the 2007 season, Wilfork notched 7 solo tackles and a big 8-yard sack of Ben Roethlisberger in Week 13 in a 34-13 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was also selected to the 2008 Pro Bowl.
Wilfork was fined a total of 4 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 low, late hit on Buffalo Bills quarterback J. P. Losman.[3] This was appealed to the NFL and reduced to $2,500. He was fined $5,000 for a 15-yard personal foul penalty. A face-mask penalty called in the AFC Championship Game against the San Diego Chargers, while attempting to tackle running back Michael Turner. And in a game on October 14, 2007 at Dallas Wilfork was fined $5,000 for drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct foul when he tangled with Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten. [4] 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.[5] The move was seen by a national television audience but not the referees on the field.
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ Results of 2000 Outdoor State Meet Class 4A. DyeStat Florida (May 13, 2000).
- ^ Under the Helmet: Vince Wilfork. New England Patriots (December 14, 2007).
- ^ Vince Wilfork Expects Fine for J.P. Losman Hit - FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Patriots' Wilfork fined $15,000 for finger-poking incident against Giants", Associated Press via NFL, 2008-01-04. Retrieved on 2008-01-04.
[edit] External links
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