FOXBORO — Vince Wilfork [stats] is an NFL nose tackle, which means that, by definition, he is among the National Football League’s enormous cast of enormous men who don’t get enormous amounts of publicity.
That’s what they sign up for. The quarterbacks get the glitz, the big guys get the grit.
But Wilfork awakened Monday morning to a new existence. He had become a TV star, a man whose deeds were being shown on television over and over and over again. He had become Tom Brady [stats], Michael Vick and Drew Brees combined into a razzmatazz highlight package watched by everyone with even a casual interest in football.
And here’s why: We love it when the big guys carry the football.
When a running back runs, that’s business as usual. When a quarterback sneaks, same thing. But when a 325-pound Man on Defense tips a pass, holds onto it and thunders toward the goal line, it becomes a certified Great Football Moment that takes center stage on every highlight reel.
We speak, of course, of Wilfork’s grab of a Philip Rivers pass in the second quarter of the Patriots [team stats]’ 35-21 victory over the San Diego Chargers last Sunday. He tipped the pass, he held onto it, and then . . . we love it when the big guys carry the football.
That’s why the press room at Gillette Stadium was filled yesterday morning when Wilfork announced he and his wife, Bianca, will be joining forces with EMD Millipore and the Joslin Diabetes Center’s High Hopes Fund.
Diabetes is a deeply personal topic for Wilfork, whose father died of the disease. In that spirit, then, he could not have picked a better time to record his first career pick.
“As a kid, I’m 9 and 10 years at the time, seeing my father going through what he had to go through,” Wilfork said. “I had to give him shots at times, he was so weak. I had to bathe him, had to take him to the restroom. There was a lot going on that my brother and I had to deal with. That’s why this is really close and dear to my heart.”
That’s just great stuff, powerful stuff. And thanks to that interception, a whole lot more people will hear Wilfork’s message. All because . . . we love it when the big guys carry the football.
But here’s the thing: One of the few people who didn’t see the replay Sunday night was Vince Wilfork himself.
“The first time I saw that play was actually Monday, when I came and watched film,” he said. “I wasn’t coming in just to watch that play, I was actually coming in to — I always look at the game before we go in as a defense to look at it to see and critique myself.”
The old humble bit. Didn’t see the play Sunday. Didn’t rush home, fire up the flat screen, and grab the remote. Didn’t. Right?
“When I got to that play (on Monday),” he said, “I slowed it down, I looked it at a couple times. I wouldn’t lie to you; I looked at it just a couple of times. That was the first time I saw it, but my wife was all on it. She had the papers, she had the ‘SportsCenter’ stuff. Whatever was out there, she had it, trust me.”
So, yes, absolutely, Wilfork was as thrilled about that play as everyone else. He even understood the significance.
“I have some people telling me that’s the greatest play they’ve ever seen, and they’re 60 years old, he said. “So I’m like, they’ve been around for a long time, I’m pretty sure they’ve seen a lot of football, so to rank that one of the best they’ve seen, that’s an honor.
Source: http://bostonherald.com/sports/football/patriots/view.bg?articleid=1368020&srvc=sports&position=4
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That’s what they sign up for. The quarterbacks get the glitz, the big guys get the grit.
But Wilfork awakened Monday morning to a new existence. He had become a TV star, a man whose deeds were being shown on television over and over and over again. He had become Tom Brady [stats], Michael Vick and Drew Brees combined into a razzmatazz highlight package watched by everyone with even a casual interest in football.
When a running back runs, that’s business as usual. When a quarterback sneaks, same thing. But when a 325-pound Man on Defense tips a pass, holds onto it and thunders toward the goal line, it becomes a certified Great Football Moment that takes center stage on every highlight reel.
We speak, of course, of Wilfork’s grab of a Philip Rivers pass in the second quarter of the Patriots [team stats]’ 35-21 victory over the San Diego Chargers last Sunday. He tipped the pass, he held onto it, and then . . . we love it when the big guys carry the football.
That’s why the press room at Gillette Stadium was filled yesterday morning when Wilfork announced he and his wife, Bianca, will be joining forces with EMD Millipore and the Joslin Diabetes Center’s High Hopes Fund.
Diabetes is a deeply personal topic for Wilfork, whose father died of the disease. In that spirit, then, he could not have picked a better time to record his first career pick.
“As a kid, I’m 9 and 10 years at the time, seeing my father going through what he had to go through,” Wilfork said. “I had to give him shots at times, he was so weak. I had to bathe him, had to take him to the restroom. There was a lot going on that my brother and I had to deal with. That’s why this is really close and dear to my heart.”
That’s just great stuff, powerful stuff. And thanks to that interception, a whole lot more people will hear Wilfork’s message. All because . . . we love it when the big guys carry the football.
But here’s the thing: One of the few people who didn’t see the replay Sunday night was Vince Wilfork himself.
“The first time I saw that play was actually Monday, when I came and watched film,” he said. “I wasn’t coming in just to watch that play, I was actually coming in to — I always look at the game before we go in as a defense to look at it to see and critique myself.”
The old humble bit. Didn’t see the play Sunday. Didn’t rush home, fire up the flat screen, and grab the remote. Didn’t. Right?
“When I got to that play (on Monday),” he said, “I slowed it down, I looked it at a couple times. I wouldn’t lie to you; I looked at it just a couple of times. That was the first time I saw it, but my wife was all on it. She had the papers, she had the ‘SportsCenter’ stuff. Whatever was out there, she had it, trust me.”
So, yes, absolutely, Wilfork was as thrilled about that play as everyone else. He even understood the significance.
“I have some people telling me that’s the greatest play they’ve ever seen, and they’re 60 years old, he said. “So I’m like, they’ve been around for a long time, I’m pretty sure they’ve seen a lot of football, so to rank that one of the best they’ve seen, that’s an honor.
Source: http://bostonherald.com/sports/football/patriots/view.bg?articleid=1368020&srvc=sports&position=4
Movers Fort Lauderdale
Movers Castro Valley
Movers Sunnyvale
Movers Pinewood
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