Tag: Vince Wilfork

Vince Wilfork among finalists for Patriots Hall of Fame induction

the New England Patriots announced their Hall of Fame candidates on Tuesday.

The New England Patriots announced the three finalists for the team’s Hall of Fame on Tuesday. Offensive lineman Logan Mankins, linebacker Mike Vrabel, and defensive lineman Vince Wilfork are the finalists in this year’s class.

Mankins played nine of 11 NFL seasons with New England. He received several accolades over the course of his career. He was a first-round draft pick in 2005, and was named a three-time team captain of the Patriots. He earned six Pro Bowl selections and six All-Pro honors with the Patriots. He started 130 regular-season games and 17 postseason contests as a member of the Patriots.

Vrabel joined the team in free agency in the 2001 season, following time with the Pittsburgh Steelers. From there, he was a key part of three Patriots Super Bowl-winning teams. He played both inside and outside linebacker, and lined up on offense and special goal line receiving situations. All 10 of his catches went for touchdowns. Many may recall his touchdown reception against the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl XXXIX.

Wifork played a big part in solidifying the interior of the Patriots defense during his career. He was drafted by the Patriots in 2004, and subsequently established himself as one of the premier defensive tackles in the game. He made the Pro Bowl five times, and was a first-team All-Pro in 2012. He tallied 561 tackles in his career and 16 quarterback sacks.

Each of these individuals made their mark in Patriots history. Now it’s up to the fans to decide the 2022 selection.

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Bill Belichick strongly vouches for three former Patriots in Hall of Fame discussion

“Since there’s no criteria for the Hall of Fame, it’s really hard to even have a conversation about it.”

Bill Belichick should be considered a decent judge of NFL talent at this point in his career.

The New England Patriots head coach, who’s been in the league since 1975, has eight collective Super Bowl wins and he’s arguably the greatest coach ever. He’s seen a thing or two around the league and he has a pretty good understanding of which players should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Former Patriots defensive linemen Richard Seymour and Vince Wilfork were recently named semifinalists for the Hall of Fame, while safety Rodney Harrison was left off the list — he was a semifinalist last year.

Belichick discussed the topic on Friday morning and began with some endorsement for Seymour and Wilfork.

“For me, those are the two best defensive linemen that I’ve coached,” Belichick said. “… In my Hall of Fame, those two guys are there. Without a doubt.”

When it comes to Harrison, Belichick was very precise in his praise.

“I think that Rodney Harrison 100% [belongs] in that conversation,” he said. “And I have coached some of the other safeties that have been enshrined in the Hall of Fame, and not taking anything away from them, but certainly Rodney Harrison belongs in that conversation. He certainly belongs in the conversation with other players who are already there.”

Belichick continued by discussing the confusing criteria to get into the Hall of Fame.

“Since there’s no criteria for the Hall of Fame, it’s really hard to even have a conversation about it because we’re not basing it on anything,” he said. “Your opinion of a great player, my opinion of a great player, somebody else’s opinion of a great player — like, I don’t know what that. means. Is it how many year’s they played? Is it how many All-Pro’s they had? Is it how many championships they won? Is it individual stats? You can make it whatever you want to make it. With no criteria, you can make a case for anybody.”

Due to this lack of criteria, maybe Belichick will make a push for Julian Edelman at some point in the future.

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Panthers legend Steve Smith next up for a shot at the Hall of Fame

Carolina Panthers fans know Steve Smith is deserving of a bust in Canton. We’ll find out pretty soon if the voters agree.

Smitty looks pretty sharp donning that Carolina blue jacket in the picture above, doesn’t he? So how about a gold one next?

Well, we’ll find out if Carolina Panthers legend Steve Smith will be adding a second jacket to his wardrobe within the year, as he’s up for eternal residency at the Pro Football Hall of Fame starting in 2022. He—along with other notables such as fellow wide receiver Anquan Boldin, quarterback Tony Romo, return man extraordinaire Devin Hester and defensive linemen DeMarcus Ware, Vince Wilfork and Robert Mathis—is now officially eligible to be elected to Canton, Ohio for the first time.

Smith was drafted by the Panthers in the third round of the 2001 NFL draft out of the University of Utah. He would go on to spend 13 seasons in Carolina, amassing 12,197 yards and 67 touchdowns in becoming the franchise’s all-time leading receiver.

His greatest year, perhaps, came in 2005, when Smith led the entire league in receptions (103), receiving yards (1,563) and receiving touchdowns (12). He still remains as the most recent player to achieve the triple crown of receiving.

In what can painfully be described as an unceremonious, bloody and full-of-guts departure following the 2013 season, Smith signed on with the Baltimore Ravens in 2014. Even as a “Sr.,” he proved he still had it, totaling 2,534 yards and 14 scores over his three years in purple and black.

After 16 years of proving to be one of the most dangerous, incendiary and colorful players in the game, Smith announced his retirement after the 2016 campaign. He currently sits at No. 8 on the all-time receiving list and is the only player of the top-nine on said list that has yet to be enshrined.

Smith and the Panthers organization have since patched up their once rocky relationship, as 89 would be inducted into the Hall of Honor on Oct. 6, 2019. More recently, he received one heck of a standing ovation at the team’s Fan Fest event at Bank of America Stadium this past Friday.

And hey, maybe there’s one more emotional standing ovation to be had for the pass-catching great before it’s all said and done.

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Here’s how Vince Wilfork thinks Tom Brady will be received by fans at Gillette Stadium

Tom Brady’s return will elicit some interesting reactions by fans.

Tom Brady’s return to Gillette Stadium in Week 4 is one of the biggest storylines in the NFL this year.

Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hit the road to take on Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots after two very different 2020 seasons. Out of every small storyline that will surround the game, the return of Brady at his old stadium is likely the largest. The 43-year-old spent two decades with the team and delivered six Super Bowls, while making the playoffs every season he was on the field.

Some Patriots fans were upset with his decision, but most didn’t lose love for the greatest quarterback in league history. Legendary Patriots defensive lineman Vince Wilfork understands this and he discussed it Tuesday morning on ESPN’s “First Take.”

“I think it’s going to be a home game feeling for him. I really do,” Wilfork said, transcribed by NESN. “I think the fans are going to welcome him with open arms. I think he’s going to be embraced because of so much he’s done for that organization. You know, Tom is Tom — a New England Patriot or a Tampa Bay Buccaneer. He’s Tom, and people love Tom and people hate Tom. But he’s going to a place where he won a lot of football games, he started the Super Bowl runs. I really think they’re going to welcome him with open arms. I really do.”

Brady didn’t leave on bad terms and his desire to test his first year as a free agent put him in position to win another Super Bowl ring. It’s hard to believe the fans who moved on from their former quarterback could overtake the crowd noise of fans who will support Brady in his return.

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Report: Vince Wilfork’s son arrested, charged with stealing his father’s Super Bowl rings

D’Aundre Holmes-Wilfork was arrested and charged for stealing hundreds of dollars of property from his father.

Former New England Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork had some of his most expensive NFL memorabilia stolen recently.

His son, D’Aundre Holmes-Wilfork, was allegedly the offender and was arrested on May 22 in Friendswood, Texas. He was charged with theft of property greater than $300,000 — including two Super Bowl rings, two AFC Championship rings and a college championship ring, along with other items of jewelry.

The Galveston County Daily News reported this on Tuesday after the local district attorney’s office released a police complaint.

Wilfork reported the items were missing on May 10, but originally found out they were missing in May of 2020. He didn’t initially report the items being missing because he thought the jewelry was packed away in storage or at his home in Florida.

He received a message from a Patriots fan about having the rings, according to the report.

Earlier this year, however, Wilfork received a message from a Patriots fan, who alerted him that a person was claiming to have acquired Wilfork’s championship rings and had posted information about them in a memorabilia group online.

Wilfork was able to reach the person who claimed to own the rings. That person said he had bought the jewelry from Holmes-Wilfork in May 2020, paying $62,000 for them.

Holmes-Wilfork is now released on a $300,000 bond.

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