September 23, 2022 • 34 mins
Matt Smith and Paul Perillo sit down with former Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork ahead of his 2022 Patriots Hall of Fame induction. Among the highlights include: His attitude on draft day 2004, and his amazing recollection of the players selected ahead of him. His most disappointing loss (His answer may surprise you). His affection for New England, his appeal to Patriots fans, and his gratitude for the HOF honor.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
It's time now for another episode of the pat From
the Past podcast. Max Smith along with Paul Broo and
pleased to be joined by the newly inducted member of
the Patriots Hall of Fame, number seventy five in your program.
I don't know if seventy five would fit on him now, Paul,
mister Vince Wilfork, Vince, you look tremendous.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Thank you think? I think aside? Forty eight might do? Yeah,
forty eight? Now do you set a fifty six? Do you?
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Does it feel normal like to be more like a
normal human being as opposed to you know, one of
you play.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
You know what the most amazing thing for me now
is I can go basically in if they have a
two X, I can fit it, you know. And that's
I haven't had that since I was in sixth grade,
you know. So it's a little different. But at the
same time, I feel good, my body feel good, I'm healthy,
and I've just been enjoying life. That's great.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Why don't we Why don't you let Patriot fans know
what are you up to now? I don't know that
I'm up to the Lake and Greatest. But the last
time I think I saw Vince besides the twenty sixteen
playoff lost. Here is you must have had a spatuel
in your hand. You must have been in front of
a barbecue grill. Are you still in the grill business?
What are you up to these days?
Speaker 2 (01:12):
You know? I live every day as it comes, and
I enjoy I try to enjoy retirement, my kids and
family and friends and taking a lot of time playing
some golf, you know. And I love the outdoors. I
love the fish. And so right now, you know, I'm
real estate. I'm in truck and I got a you know,
a couple of things solar and you know, I got
(01:34):
I'm dimming and dabbing in a bunch of stuff. I'm
always cooking, So cooking this part of who I am.
So but you know, life is good. It's nothing stressful.
Is I work at my own on my own schedule,
wake up when I want to wake up. But it
seems like I'm still on the football schedule because I'll
pop up at six o'clock, like I have something to
do at six o'clock, you know, And then I'm like, okay,
(01:55):
maybe I can go read and go for a walk.
Well maybe I just head to them, you know, the
course and play some golf. But you know, but living
a simple life and happy life. That's that's what it's
all about for me, because you know, for over twenty years,
you know, high school and college and NFL, I had
a structured life where you know, it was very demanding,
(02:18):
you know, and I had schedule. I had to meet
that schedule. I had routines, I had to be on
a routine. And now I'm to a point where I
don't have to do all of that.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
It's your time now, used.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
To be it is my time, and I'm probably working
harder now. I move around a lot more now than
when I played, but I move around how I want
to move around now, and I just keep things fun
and exciting because I'm a busybody. I like to be
moving around. So but nothing spectackling. I live a born
retirement life, and like I said, the majority of the time,
(02:50):
I'm on a golf course.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
And we were, you know, just talking about this before
we started. This is your first time back, yes, since
that you know, you went to Houston the last couple
of that two thousand sixteen playoff game. That was the
the last time you were you were here at your
let's stadium. Yep, that was you're enjoying the memories already.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Man. You know, my first time back besides that last
playoff game. And we got in Monday, and we kind
of walked around a little bit and had to go
out and get a sweater because I didn't pack. I
packed like I was a Southern boy, so I didn't
have any sweater or long pan. So I had to
go pick up a jackie, me and my fiance and
(03:28):
you know, just walking in it's and it's dark, right
and about twenty yards away, I hear somebody we love
you vents and I look back. I'm like, who the
hell knowed me? It's dark outside, I got this sweater on.
It's like I love you too, you know, And and
that and that basically started my time back in Boston
(03:51):
because from that moment until I since I've been up here.
Now everywhere I go, you know, it's fans everywhere, congratulating me,
hugging me, taking pictures and autograph And what makes me
so happy is the excitement and the happiness I see
on their faces. That that brings me joy to see
(04:13):
a community that I fell in love with while I
up here being excited and happy for me. So it's
been a thrill everybody I encounter. I mean, I love Boston.
I love everybody here. Some of my closest friends are
from here, and this is the best fans that you
can ever ask for.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
So are you surprised? Were you surprised? Were you nervous?
You know, you didn't you didn't necessarily end as a Patriot,
even though I know you're officially retired. Was there any
hesitancy or were you surprised? Because I don't think we'd
be surprised that Evince Wolfork's walking down the street. Of
course you're going to belied, you know, that's the kind
of player you were.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
But I'm surprised because I don't think they can see
my face who I was. That's that's why that's what
surprised me. I'm like then back of me, they just
crossed the street, so how they like, did they follow
me or did they see me? So maybe they saw
me under some lights. But I'm not surprised about the
love that Boston gives me because I've always given Boston
(05:13):
one hundred percent of love back because they this is
my family now, like Boston is home for me, you know,
even though I went out and played two more years.
But people tell you quick, I'm I'm a Hurricane and
I'm a Patriot. You know, That's what it is. And
even though I've been going all this well, I've always
considered myself for Bostony because of the amount of time
(05:34):
I spent here and with the connections and the friendships
that I've encountered over my life here. And basically I
grew here, honestly, you know, I was a twenty three
year old kid come here, you know, and I grew
from a kid to a man here with a family.
So all I know is kind of Boston. So I
(05:54):
love it, you know, I love it. That's great.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
They knew you because you're taking pictures all over the
place and posted them.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
I had to do that. I had to do that,
I mean, because I didn't know how. I didn't know.
That's nice. It was nice Landmark. I was at like
this arc and then you know, my marketing she started
telling me how big of a deal this hotel I'm
staying there. I'm like, okay, So she's like, you need
to send the post out. I said, okay, I listened.
You know, once in my lifetime, I listened, so I
(06:21):
listened and it was like boom boom boom boom boom.
I'm like, okay, well at least she was right. So
but I'm you know, like I said, a lot of people,
and I think a lot of reasons that people fell
in love with me is they realized how of a
normal person I am. I can relate to them because
I had. I didn't have anybody sharing. I mean, you know,
(06:43):
going shopping for me. You know, I cut my own rass,
you know, I had, I bought a plow truck. So
I was a man's man. You know. If I had
to go grocery shop, I go grocery shop. If me
and my family want to go eat, we go eat
whatever they have available. We sit down and eat, so
a lot of stuff. I think people kind of equate that,
you know, I'm just as normous as everyone else, even
(07:04):
though I have you know, the background of you know,
Collo and playing college and Patriot. You know, go to
Celsish game, I see it in the crowd. So you know,
even now when I go to games, now, you know
I see it in the stands. I don't I don't
call for a box, I don't call for nothing special
for me, you know, so I try to be as
normal as possible, what I think over the over time,
(07:26):
people grew to love that about me. You know that
it's any day in Boston when I was here, you
can walk up to me and catch me anywhere with
that normal person.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Be because this area respects and they embrace the regular
human beings. They see the work getting double and triple
team and everything like that, they realize you're grabbing your
brown bag yep, hardhead on and going out to work.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
And that's how I am man. Even to this day
in Houston, I'm saying, way, I don't hide, I don't
try to call and say can you block this off up?
Like no, I go, I'm going in with everybody else.
We we all sitting and have a good time. We laugh,
We talked football, we talked life. And I think that's
one thing that draws people in with me because I
just showed them how normal I can be. Like I
(08:11):
know where where I come from. I know, you know
what it's like to grind, and I'm a humble person.
So I'm blessed to be in a position that I'm in.
I'm blessed to have the career I had to walk
away from a game with one major injury, like that's
unheard of playing the position I played, And so I'm
truly blessing. I'm lucky. So I look at That's how
(08:34):
I look at life. You know. You treat people the
way you want to be treated. You treat what people
with respect, you could demand it. So I've played like that.
I lived my life like that, and that's why I
get along with a lot of people.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
So when you go back to the beginning here two
thousand and four, you talked about you're a Kane, You're
a Hurricane Solver. You get drafted in the first round. Yes, sir, here,
what was draft night like for you? Did you expect
to be available with twenty one?
Speaker 2 (09:01):
No? I was pissed, you know, and I remember, you know,
my father died of diabetes. So I wanted to do
something to give back two diabetes. So I linked up
with this this organization down there called DRII Dia Beata
Research Interest Too, and we threw this like this little
get together at a place called game game Stop, no
(09:24):
game shop, game works, I'm sorry, game works in Miami.
And it was just me and my family and a
couple of friends and it was probably like thirty of us,
and we raised like six thousand dollars that day. And
I was sitting there and I knew we had six
first rounders. I knew we had that. I'll say, well,
I know I'm not going to be the last one,
you know, because I've met with you know, Houston came
(09:44):
down and met with all of us. Houston was picking
at ten. Then Atlanta had eight. Atlanta was talking to
me every day. So Atlanta was at eight. And then
I went and visit Chicago, and I think Chicago had
thirteen or fourteen. I went to Buffalo in Minnesota. Right,
So I'm like, I know I'm gonna be off the
(10:05):
board before you know. I'm not gonna be last hurricane. Right,
So Atlanta comes, I'm like, okay, here's our first one. Boom,
Atlanta comes. They picked a cornerback. I'm like, okay, ten,
Houston got one, Okay, Houston. Houston comes, they pick a cornerback,
and I'm like, what the hell now, mind you. At
(10:26):
the time, Sean Teala had left and Keller Winzoe had left,
so we had Jonathan Villma left, DJ Williams, Vernicrey and myself.
So fourteen comes thirteen fourteen, comes Chicago. They picked Tommy
Harris first Detackle take it. So I was like, okay,
they went dtackle, but they went that route. Okay. So
now I'm sitting I'm like, I have no clue where
(10:47):
I'm gonna go. You know, Buffalo come up. I forget
who Buffalo picked. And then Jets picked Jonathan Villma so
he the third goe. Denver picked DJ william He's the
fourth one. So here we go with Miami. So I'm like, okay,
at least I can stay home. Even though I grew up,
I didn't grow up. I hated the Dolphins. I said, okay,
(11:07):
at least I can stay home. Dolphins come Vernon Carrey,
so I said, you got to being kidding.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Is it amazing that the eighteen years later.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
All of them can do that with the around just
shit there.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
And rattle them off, because because you don't forget, you
don't forget.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
So here comes New England, right boom. They picked me.
So I said, okay, I'm still pissed. First Round'm pissed.
And I remember my defensive coordinator at the time, Randon Shendon,
he coming. He came to me. He said, listen, no
he called me. He said, Ben, listen, I know you
pissed off, in you upset, but you're gonna be the
first one to get a ring watch. I said, no,
I don't want to hear that. I'm pissed off. And
then DJ Williams came, and then are other guys they came.
(11:51):
They was happy, you know, and I was still I
was in. I was pissed off because I'm so competitive.
I'm like, how the hell I'm the sixth Hurricane pick
Like that on't make no sense. So I finally let
it go, and I throughout my career, I say, well,
I'm gonna show you I'm the best one of these
Hurricanes that got drafted that year. That was the inside
that was burning and driving me. And sure enough my
(12:12):
first year Super Bowl, and I remember when I wanted.
I called my defensive coordinator, Randon Shan and I said, listen, coach,
you told me I was going to be the first
one to win one, and you were right. And I
kind of let it go. Then. So now I sit
back with all those guys and I say, yeah, y'all
went before me, But I had the better career and
(12:32):
I played with the best team that you can possibly
play with. So I'm okay where I got drafted, you know.
So it's always an inside joke, but a great story.
I'll never forget it. You know that that was one
of the things that one of the multiple things that
drove me to be the best I could be.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
I had some talent with you on that defensive flight too.
Huh No, no shortage your first round picks on that line.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Now, I'm thinking it was three years we had eighteen
or nineteen first rounders University of my mean three year
span and with our class being the top one with
six in the first round, I think we tied somebody.
And at that time, I really didn't know what what
that meant. I mean, I'd be like, man, this is
what we do. We Hurricane, we go to the NFL.
(13:15):
We may have good careers. But you look at it now,
it's like, and you know, six in the first round
haven't happened. You know the longevity that you know, Hurricanes
we typically have and the production. You know, so if
you go and look at you know, all the great
Hurricanes that played and where they went and how they
played in the NFL their careers, they had amazing careers.
(13:37):
So now I'm able to sit back and be like, yes,
I'm part of that fraternity down at the University of Miami.
Not only did we did it in college, we also
did it at the highest level, you know, and being
a Patriot Hall of Fame, and that just speaks volume
of not only my play, but from everywhere that I
that I come from, from my upbringing, you know, from
(13:59):
my coaches and how school and in college, and a
lot of a lot of credit go to Bill Belichick
because Bill and Craft believed it in me. Took a
guy from a thirty four from a four to three
penetrating defense, brung him in the system and had to
teach me the system, you know. And I just remember
those days just trying to learn it. Everything I was
(14:19):
doing was too fast. So it was like everything was
opposite of college. You know. I got to stay front
side in college NFL, when we stay in backside. I
was fast. I had to be fast in college quick.
In college I had to slow down. And then pros.
So everything I was trained and learned to do as
a high school and a college splayer, I had to
(14:39):
retrain who I was to be a football player in
this type of defense.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
And so Keith was here, you're rookie trail yep, right,
and so you're splitting. I mean he's starting at the time,
you know. And was that pissed off fence will Fork
taking the field in training camp or did you feel
like me and I got a lot to learn. I'd
better not be as pissed off and try to be
a sponge with all these different things that they're thrown
(15:03):
at you right out of the chute, and let me
work my way, let me learn this, and then let
me see how I can contribute after I learned this.
What was your mindset?
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Like my mindset was I need to be on the field,
and it really wasn't. I was upset I didn't start,
you know because in college, only year I started was
my last year there. You know, I played behind two
defensive tackles in college my first and second year, but
my playing time I played more than them. So that
really didn't bother me. And I knew Keith Trelor was
(15:35):
an older guy coming in and he never really played
in his defense, so it was new to him too.
And he was an older guy, and you know, you know,
just age ketchup. You know, I used to see him
rub his knees and all this stuff and put all
the stuff on in his locker, and we used to
laugh at him. He said, don't worry about a young buck.
You don't get my age. One day you're gonna be
doing the same thing I'm doing, you know. But me
and me and Keith had a great relationship. It was
(15:59):
no it was never no jealousy there. We learned off
each other because every time I had to do something,
even though I was a rookie, he had to do
it because we both had to learn how to be
a nose tackle. Because think about it, we were trying
to replace the great Ted Washington at that position. So
and also in my mind was like, okay, New England
Pagers just won a Super Bowl and they picked me
(16:21):
first rounder. I can't let them down. So all that
drove me. And I know how I work, in the
work I put in with study and stuff, it wasn't
gonna be a problem for me to hit the field
and start making plays. I just needed to understand the
system I was in, and I think by year three
(16:42):
that's when I really got a hold of what it
took to be a nose tackle. In his defense, and
from year three on it was history.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Ted Washington is the only guy in that locker room.
I've been here for twenty three seasons. He's the only
guy that ever scared the ever living crap out of me.
I was frightened of him, you know, just as personal aside.
I can tell you a long story but for another podcasting. Right, So,
but you have you know, you have Keith obviously, who
was instrumental in you guys learning.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
But you got Richard.
Speaker 3 (17:15):
Seymour on the one side, Ty Warren on the other
just to be part of that, I mean, probably the
greatest defensive line team history.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
I would thank you no question.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
Just what was it like to be out there with
all those you know, you got Brew and Ravees and
it is behind you, I mean.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
Ty Long and then the second like, man, what a
defense man? Let me tell you something. Me and Ty
we talked about this and we didn't realize when we played,
but I would put our front three against any front
three in history in the third or four to two
gap of defense, I'll put us up against it. It
(17:51):
didn't matter. I don't care who you come talk to, Okay,
I don't care who you bring up. I would put
that three up against anybody. Hey, what we had up front?
You had three first rounders, and then don't forget Jarvis
Green the second round, and that he was he was
our our hybrid. You know, if Richard need to blow
(18:13):
a tidy, need to broke, he come in. But he
was our third down specialist, so we knew. And then
we had third down. We had five, but you had
we had Brew and we had Ted or Ted Johnson
in the middle, and then we had Willie McGinnis and
Mike Rabel and don't forget Roosevelt was over you see.
And then you go on the back end, you got
Ty locking down one side, you got a Sante Samuel
(18:34):
and Pool on one side. Then you got Wilson in
the back, and you had Harrison. So yes, our defense
was stacked.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
So Vince to that point. Okay, And I think a
lot of Patriots fans have been talking about this. It
doesn't get the run that maybe it should get nationally. Okay,
I take nothing away from it, but offense sells. Everybody
loves the quarterback, and there's nobody greater than Tom. But
that defense, you're now starting to see maybe a little
bit of movement. It took them a while. Ties in
(19:04):
the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Richard had to be
knocking for a few years. Do you finally see some
movement nationally that maybe you guys are getting the respected
You understand that defense.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Deserves You have to. You have to because if you
look at those players, not only they changed offenses we
played against, but we had a lot of teams and
defenses try to mimic what we did defensively. So we
was a trendset of all this new era stuff that guys,
(19:35):
all of a sudden you start seeing running the thirty
four defense in sentate five, you know, or sending four
like we started all that. They tried to figure out
what we were doing. So they took what we were
doing and try to implement it in their system. You see,
but you just can't. It got to be both. You
got to know how to coach and you got to
know how to play it. It has to be both.
(19:57):
You can't have one in the other. And we had both.
We had defensive minding coaches. We had Romeo Cameo and
we had Bill Belichick that was back in the days
New York. They coached together. And then with the saving
in Alabama, So you look at Alabama what they do
and in college, So that Tree, that Parcelles Trigg, that
Bill Belichick Trigg is everywhere. And what we did defensively,
(20:21):
A lot of people don't like it because we wasn't flashy.
We wasn't flashed, you see, a lot of people didn't
like it because we didn't have the big plays like that. No,
we was very very consistent at being consistent.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
Last year in the Hall of Fame ceremony when Richard
went in, Bruski was there, and Bruski there was a
panel discussion and it was Ty Warren, Willie McGinnis and
Richard Seymour and Brusk goes, let me stand behind them,
and he stood behind them for a second. He goes,
nobody can see me. And he comes up in between
(20:58):
me goes, what do you think I think it was
like playing linebacker when these guys were here. Yes, you
guys did all the work. Rabel, Bruce, Ki, etc. They
just show you they cleaned up. Thanks for what you
guys did.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
Yeah, we you know. And this is two gapping isn't fun.
I means you have to be a man to be
able to two gap. And if you really want to
see what type of players you have, and how tough
and if you have some dogs or not make them
two gap Because I remember talking with Randy Moss before
(21:31):
and I was explaining him about two gap between two
gaping then four to three penning trading. I said, listen, Randy,
I can put you in the nine technique, in the
one gap, and you can get the job done. Who
you are right there. You can get the job done
and you don't have to touch nobody. You could just
run up feel and you just try to find the ball.
You can do that, I say, But if I put
you in the five where you got to put hands
(21:53):
on somebody and control two gaps, that changes. So I say, yeah,
a lot of guys get a lot of credit and
a lot of recognition of these quarterback sacks and just
running the field. I say, but what we did, it
takes a real man to do that. And not only
once you're talking about for sixty minutes. You're talking about
(22:13):
for a season, and you talk about for a career.
So time and time and time and time. We don't
get no plays off. If it's a pass play, we rushing,
we banging their heads, run play, we fighting doubles, triple
we button head. If you one gaping, you can run
on the air and don't have to touch her soul.
(22:34):
You know, if you one gap him, if God misses
their block with you, you scott free. You only got
that one gap to worry about. But if you're telling
me you can't run around this guy, you got to
go through him. You got to control this. You got
to knock him back. And you got these two gaps
day in and day out. That's defense.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
And but what's sexier? And what we know?
Speaker 2 (22:58):
What?
Speaker 1 (22:58):
What what are the guys look at?
Speaker 3 (22:59):
You know, That's what I was gonna ask. Ever any
resentment mean, did you guys ever go to Bill and
just say hey, you know, just hey, we got the
lead here, you know, turn the sluice a little bit here.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
No, Bill done it good? He you know what. Bill
used to give us some bones here. And we got
to a point where Bill trusted us enough, you know,
and Bill knew what he had. Bill knew he had
three first rounds basically for a first rounder with Jarvis. Yes, up,
Bill that we can control the game. Once we get
to a level in the game, he can let us
loose and he can give us a bone. We had
(23:30):
some plays where he'll call just for us, just to
get us excited. You know. So I wouldn't never say
Bill never, you know, didn't unleash us. He had. And
it was games where Bill come in there and say,
straight up, listen, this game gonna be one up front.
If y'all can't win, we lose. He told us straight up,
if you guys can't do this, we lose. He wasn't
(23:52):
nothing about Tom. He wasn't nothing about no office. It
wasn't nothing about scoring points. He told us straight up,
if you three can't do this, we won't.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Well, I've got one that's probably gonna come up on Saturday.
And only because I was talking to him and it
was a teammate of yours. And Devin told me that
you said before the ravens AFC Championship game. It wasn't
Bill saying it. He said, you said it, And you said, guys,
this one's on us the front seven. We got the
run covered. Yeah, it was Cedric Maxwell. Jump on my back,
(24:22):
he said, jump on my back. I'm going to take
care of you guys. And he said the next day
after the win that Bill was in the auditorium going
over the tape and he looks and he just circled.
He goes, this is a dominating performance. Twenty eleven, a
two championship game. Eleven tackles a couple of sacks. I mean,
that's that's putting your money where your mouth is. Do
(24:45):
you think of that when you look back at your career,
evinces as one of your best games.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
Absolutely, And I like that game because of what it
meant for us. You know, we was coming up against
a team that we always it's a grind. We knew
what was gonna be physical. We knew they wasn't gonna
lay down they We knew that they was gonna match
whatever we put on the field. But in my mindset,
(25:11):
it was like, listen, we better than them. This is
our home turf, and we got it. Short playing and simple.
It's nothing else to talk about. So I knew going
in what it meant, and I knew how much the
team looked up to me, and they listen when I speak,
So I had to always be careful of what I
(25:31):
say when I say things, because I know they're gonna
they're gonna take what I said and this is how
it's gonna be. But I knew that game. I'm like
listen here, they're not gonna beat us because we're gonna win.
In up front, we don't want we don't want you
guys back there worrying about to run. And we got this.
I don't care if it's seven in the box or
six in the box, because it was times where we
(25:52):
had six men in the bike and we used to
call it big. Bill, tell us you guys have to
play big. We went short, okay, Coach, not a problem.
If that's the game plan, we would do that. And
I just knew how important that game was for us
as an organization, as a patriot, for our fans, and
(26:13):
being in front of our crowd, you know. And I
always looked over there too. They had ed Reed, they
had you know, Ray Lewis, they had a Loodinada, they
had a squad.
Speaker 3 (26:23):
It was a great team.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
You guys had some great wars, great wars. So I'm
saying it's us versus y'all. I don't care what you
do offensively, Tom, I really don't care. It's US versus
Ray and his defense period and what happened, right.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
So when you go, you know, Randy Shannon told you
you're gonna be the first to win a ring. You
win it as a rookie. Oh, this is easy. And
I say this with all the respects, and I don't
want to come off as a spoiled Nordle Bostonian. Who Oh,
I had to wait ten years before I got another typle?
Speaker 2 (26:58):
How was that? Ten years? Like from to fourteen? You
said it? Yeah, because that's the first thing I said.
I win it my first year. Because you got to
realize when I get down to University of Miami my
first year, we win it, right, we win it. So
the next year we go back Ohio State, we lost that.
We all know what that is. So here I am,
my first year in the league as a rookie, I
(27:19):
win another one. So to me winning easy. And guess
what I've lost? What three game? Four game in college?
So it's like I'm used to winning. That's gonna happen
all the time. Year one go by, we don't make it,
your two go by, we don't make it your three.
We go by it. So now I'm scratching my head.
I'm like, man, jeez, I thought that's gonna be easy,
(27:39):
you know. So you start appreciate what you've done and
what you've accomplished and how hard it is to.
Speaker 1 (27:45):
Win because the other guys you're getting paid too.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
Yeah, so it's like, okay, it ain't that easy, you know.
So I had to humble myself like Okay, this don't
come by all the time like that. So that's why
what I would say to the Patriots fans is this,
for two decades, we ran the NFL. Nobody would never
see this again while we're living. I truly believe that
(28:07):
we ran it. We need to appreciate what's been done
and how it was done over these past two decades.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
Can you now that you're out of events? You know,
Bill talks about it all the time. Bill's asked all
the time, Oh Bill, what about this? What was your
favorite thing? And he goes, It'll be time to think
about that when it's over. It's now over for you.
Can you look back at that kind of with a
clear head and go, holy smokes, look at what we accomplished.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
Yes, And that's as I was planning. I never could.
I wouldn't even allow myself to. But when I retired,
and I tell people, it's like when I was in
you know, my my train it got started rolling early
in my life because of just what I've been through
(28:57):
and it only sped up. You know, when I got
to the NFL, I couldn't stop. You know, I couldn't
stop my train. My train was rolling. And when your
train roally, you don't have time to sit back and
see who's all getting on and getting off the train.
Because you're the conductor. You have to you have to drive.
You have to make sure that train stay on track right.
(29:18):
But soon it's over, that train stops and then you
can step off and you can look back and say,
I've been to all these places, I done, did all
of this. Now you have a satisfactory of seeing dang,
I can't believe I did this. But that only happens
when it's over. And I'm not talking about when the seasons,
(29:38):
so I'm talking about when your career is though, when
you have time where you can sit back and understand
what you really accomplish. And that's that's where I'm at. Now.
You have to put it in perspective, and that's what
I'm doing.
Speaker 3 (29:49):
So, do you have one that maybe stands out, you know,
one of those games, one of those titles, one of
those moments that stands out for you above.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
The one that stands out to me is the it's
what the the second Giants lost? What as eleven? Yep,
that one stands out to me the most, and that
one right there hurt me the most.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
Because we're show than the first Giants.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
Yes, yes, yes, because I thought the third Hooper Bowl,
the second one we lost with then on eleven, I
thought that team we had was a team full of
guts and grind. I mean we were some grinders. I
mean we were tough. We was mentally tough. And also
(30:36):
I feel that at that moment, that was my defense.
You see my handprint, My handprints was on that defense
at that time. So when I delivered messages and when
I spoke to guys and when we talk and we
had meetings, they were locked in. I remember when I
(30:56):
was looking at Chong and just how he was looking
at me. It was like I saw fire. It was
like he could have ran through that brick wall if
I were told him and see it. Get me, get
me kind of going now, because that's one that got
away from us. Because that team, that team was a
(31:18):
great football team and also be coming off of Myra,
you know, her death, so we had all that bottle.
Everybody wanted to win for mister Craft and Myra so
and we had it all even like being we had
it all like going to that Super Bowl. Bill told listen,
we're gonna work where we're gonna also enjoy ourselves in
(31:40):
this moment.
Speaker 1 (31:41):
And I remember that you remember that though it was
a oh seven, that wasn't the case.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
No, you guys seven.
Speaker 3 (31:47):
You guys were from the moment we got on the
plane to go with O seven, we were all up
tight right right, And I felt like you guys were
visibly up tight yep all week.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
And I remember in the hotel lobby in eleven it
was a differ for look you wa wait a minute,
Bill went to the Thursday night party.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
And I don't mean this to sound, you know, disrespectful.
I think out of the Super Bowl teams that you
were part of in that we were around, that was
one of the lesser talented ones. But the way you
describe it with with the grittiness and the toughness, I
would agree with. But I mean, you guys had jewels
back in the secondary, like chasing guys around in the
AMC Title game like that team just got by on
(32:25):
like you know, got him, got to it, just like
Kevin Garnett Britain Balls.
Speaker 2 (32:31):
You know, you know, we was a younger group.
Speaker 1 (32:33):
We had a young you know, Nao, Cody, It's like.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
We were young, but they had the right mindset and
an attitude. And you can win with that. You you
can win with guys you can coach and you can
teach and that's willing to learn and willing to listen.
You can win with that. And that's why I say
that Super Bowl was probably one of the hardest games
for me.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
Okay, we got to wrap things up here in a second,
so I'm going to finish with this one.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
Vince.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
The reason why we're here is because this weekend you
get to be inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame.
What does that honor mean to you?
Speaker 2 (33:06):
Vince? You know, I I just spoke on being able
to stop that train and look back with all you know,
everything you've been through, and it says a lot about
my teammates, the fans, staff, everybody that's affiliated with this organization.
(33:28):
I am humble and honored to get this accolade. And
this is for all of us. It's not just for me,
it's for every fan that's out there. At at I
stepped on that field, and I looked up in those
stands that I c I can badly hear each other
giving the calls, the music that we play, the excitement
(33:50):
that came from the fans day in and day out,
every Sunday, Monday, Thursday. They were there. They never left us.
You know, That's what this is for. And that makes
me feel good because I'm going into the Patriots Hall
of Fame not only by myself, but with all of
my fans and everybody else that I ran and encountered
(34:11):
with through the course of my career. So this is
a moment that I'm always going to cherish, and.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
This will for all of us well said, well deserved.
And I hope you have a hell of a time
this week, and I hope you can. I hope you
can smell the roses.
Speaker 2 (34:25):
And enjoy it. Oh will you will enjoy it.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
Congratulations, n Congratulations, Thank you guys.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
Thank you for downloading this podcast. Subscribe on the Apple,
google Play, and everywhere else you listen. Like the show,
Please rate and review us. Listener comments and ratings help
keep us high on the podcast rankings so new listeners
can find us.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
Be sure to check Patriots dot com for more news
and more podcasts
It's time now for another episode of the pat From
the Past podcast. Max Smith along with Paul Broo and
pleased to be joined by the newly inducted member of
the Patriots Hall of Fame, number seventy five in your program.
I don't know if seventy five would fit on him now, Paul,
mister Vince Wilfork, Vince, you look tremendous.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Thank you think? I think aside? Forty eight might do? Yeah,
forty eight? Now do you set a fifty six? Do you?
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Does it feel normal like to be more like a
normal human being as opposed to you know, one of
you play.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
You know what the most amazing thing for me now
is I can go basically in if they have a
two X, I can fit it, you know. And that's
I haven't had that since I was in sixth grade,
you know. So it's a little different. But at the
same time, I feel good, my body feel good, I'm healthy,
and I've just been enjoying life. That's great.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Why don't we Why don't you let Patriot fans know
what are you up to now? I don't know that
I'm up to the Lake and Greatest. But the last
time I think I saw Vince besides the twenty sixteen
playoff lost. Here is you must have had a spatuel
in your hand. You must have been in front of
a barbecue grill. Are you still in the grill business?
What are you up to these days?
Speaker 2 (01:12):
You know? I live every day as it comes, and
I enjoy I try to enjoy retirement, my kids and
family and friends and taking a lot of time playing
some golf, you know. And I love the outdoors. I
love the fish. And so right now, you know, I'm
real estate. I'm in truck and I got a you know,
a couple of things solar and you know, I got
(01:34):
I'm dimming and dabbing in a bunch of stuff. I'm
always cooking, So cooking this part of who I am.
So but you know, life is good. It's nothing stressful.
Is I work at my own on my own schedule,
wake up when I want to wake up. But it
seems like I'm still on the football schedule because I'll
pop up at six o'clock, like I have something to
do at six o'clock, you know, And then I'm like, okay,
(01:55):
maybe I can go read and go for a walk.
Well maybe I just head to them, you know, the
course and play some golf. But you know, but living
a simple life and happy life. That's that's what it's
all about for me, because you know, for over twenty years,
you know, high school and college and NFL, I had
a structured life where you know, it was very demanding,
(02:18):
you know, and I had schedule. I had to meet
that schedule. I had routines, I had to be on
a routine. And now I'm to a point where I
don't have to do all of that.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
It's your time now, used.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
To be it is my time, and I'm probably working
harder now. I move around a lot more now than
when I played, but I move around how I want
to move around now, and I just keep things fun
and exciting because I'm a busybody. I like to be
moving around. So but nothing spectackling. I live a born
retirement life, and like I said, the majority of the time,
(02:50):
I'm on a golf course.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
And we were, you know, just talking about this before
we started. This is your first time back, yes, since
that you know, you went to Houston the last couple
of that two thousand sixteen playoff game. That was the
the last time you were you were here at your
let's stadium. Yep, that was you're enjoying the memories already.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Man. You know, my first time back besides that last
playoff game. And we got in Monday, and we kind
of walked around a little bit and had to go
out and get a sweater because I didn't pack. I
packed like I was a Southern boy, so I didn't
have any sweater or long pan. So I had to
go pick up a jackie, me and my fiance and
(03:28):
you know, just walking in it's and it's dark, right
and about twenty yards away, I hear somebody we love
you vents and I look back. I'm like, who the
hell knowed me? It's dark outside, I got this sweater on.
It's like I love you too, you know, And and
that and that basically started my time back in Boston
(03:51):
because from that moment until I since I've been up here.
Now everywhere I go, you know, it's fans everywhere, congratulating me,
hugging me, taking pictures and autograph And what makes me
so happy is the excitement and the happiness I see
on their faces. That that brings me joy to see
(04:13):
a community that I fell in love with while I
up here being excited and happy for me. So it's
been a thrill everybody I encounter. I mean, I love Boston.
I love everybody here. Some of my closest friends are
from here, and this is the best fans that you
can ever ask for.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
So are you surprised? Were you surprised? Were you nervous?
You know, you didn't you didn't necessarily end as a Patriot,
even though I know you're officially retired. Was there any
hesitancy or were you surprised? Because I don't think we'd
be surprised that Evince Wolfork's walking down the street. Of
course you're going to belied, you know, that's the kind
of player you were.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
But I'm surprised because I don't think they can see
my face who I was. That's that's why that's what
surprised me. I'm like then back of me, they just
crossed the street, so how they like, did they follow
me or did they see me? So maybe they saw
me under some lights. But I'm not surprised about the
love that Boston gives me because I've always given Boston
(05:13):
one hundred percent of love back because they this is
my family now, like Boston is home for me, you know,
even though I went out and played two more years.
But people tell you quick, I'm I'm a Hurricane and
I'm a Patriot. You know, That's what it is. And
even though I've been going all this well, I've always
considered myself for Bostony because of the amount of time
(05:34):
I spent here and with the connections and the friendships
that I've encountered over my life here. And basically I
grew here, honestly, you know, I was a twenty three
year old kid come here, you know, and I grew
from a kid to a man here with a family.
So all I know is kind of Boston. So I
(05:54):
love it, you know, I love it. That's great.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
They knew you because you're taking pictures all over the
place and posted them.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
I had to do that. I had to do that,
I mean, because I didn't know how. I didn't know.
That's nice. It was nice Landmark. I was at like
this arc and then you know, my marketing she started
telling me how big of a deal this hotel I'm
staying there. I'm like, okay, So she's like, you need
to send the post out. I said, okay, I listened.
You know, once in my lifetime, I listened, so I
(06:21):
listened and it was like boom boom boom boom boom.
I'm like, okay, well at least she was right. So
but I'm you know, like I said, a lot of people,
and I think a lot of reasons that people fell
in love with me is they realized how of a
normal person I am. I can relate to them because
I had. I didn't have anybody sharing. I mean, you know,
(06:43):
going shopping for me. You know, I cut my own rass,
you know, I had, I bought a plow truck. So
I was a man's man. You know. If I had
to go grocery shop, I go grocery shop. If me
and my family want to go eat, we go eat
whatever they have available. We sit down and eat, so
a lot of stuff. I think people kind of equate that,
you know, I'm just as normous as everyone else, even
(07:04):
though I have you know, the background of you know,
Collo and playing college and Patriot. You know, go to
Celsish game, I see it in the crowd. So you know,
even now when I go to games, now, you know
I see it in the stands. I don't I don't
call for a box, I don't call for nothing special
for me, you know, so I try to be as
normal as possible, what I think over the over time,
(07:26):
people grew to love that about me. You know that
it's any day in Boston when I was here, you
can walk up to me and catch me anywhere with
that normal person.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Be because this area respects and they embrace the regular
human beings. They see the work getting double and triple
team and everything like that, they realize you're grabbing your
brown bag yep, hardhead on and going out to work.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
And that's how I am man. Even to this day
in Houston, I'm saying, way, I don't hide, I don't
try to call and say can you block this off up?
Like no, I go, I'm going in with everybody else.
We we all sitting and have a good time. We laugh,
We talked football, we talked life. And I think that's
one thing that draws people in with me because I
just showed them how normal I can be. Like I
(08:11):
know where where I come from. I know, you know
what it's like to grind, and I'm a humble person.
So I'm blessed to be in a position that I'm in.
I'm blessed to have the career I had to walk
away from a game with one major injury, like that's
unheard of playing the position I played, And so I'm
truly blessing. I'm lucky. So I look at That's how
(08:34):
I look at life. You know. You treat people the
way you want to be treated. You treat what people
with respect, you could demand it. So I've played like that.
I lived my life like that, and that's why I
get along with a lot of people.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
So when you go back to the beginning here two
thousand and four, you talked about you're a Kane, You're
a Hurricane Solver. You get drafted in the first round. Yes, sir, here,
what was draft night like for you? Did you expect
to be available with twenty one?
Speaker 2 (09:01):
No? I was pissed, you know, and I remember, you know,
my father died of diabetes. So I wanted to do
something to give back two diabetes. So I linked up
with this this organization down there called DRII Dia Beata
Research Interest Too, and we threw this like this little
get together at a place called game game Stop, no
(09:24):
game shop, game works, I'm sorry, game works in Miami.
And it was just me and my family and a
couple of friends and it was probably like thirty of us,
and we raised like six thousand dollars that day. And
I was sitting there and I knew we had six
first rounders. I knew we had that. I'll say, well,
I know I'm not going to be the last one,
you know, because I've met with you know, Houston came
(09:44):
down and met with all of us. Houston was picking
at ten. Then Atlanta had eight. Atlanta was talking to
me every day. So Atlanta was at eight. And then
I went and visit Chicago, and I think Chicago had
thirteen or fourteen. I went to Buffalo in Minnesota. Right,
So I'm like, I know I'm gonna be off the
(10:05):
board before you know. I'm not gonna be last hurricane. Right,
So Atlanta comes, I'm like, okay, here's our first one. Boom,
Atlanta comes. They picked a cornerback. I'm like, okay, ten,
Houston got one, Okay, Houston. Houston comes, they pick a cornerback,
and I'm like, what the hell now, mind you. At
(10:26):
the time, Sean Teala had left and Keller Winzoe had left,
so we had Jonathan Villma left, DJ Williams, Vernicrey and myself.
So fourteen comes thirteen fourteen, comes Chicago. They picked Tommy
Harris first Detackle take it. So I was like, okay,
they went dtackle, but they went that route. Okay. So
now I'm sitting I'm like, I have no clue where
(10:47):
I'm gonna go. You know, Buffalo come up. I forget
who Buffalo picked. And then Jets picked Jonathan Villma so
he the third goe. Denver picked DJ william He's the
fourth one. So here we go with Miami. So I'm like, okay,
at least I can stay home. Even though I grew up,
I didn't grow up. I hated the Dolphins. I said, okay,
(11:07):
at least I can stay home. Dolphins come Vernon Carrey,
so I said, you got to being kidding.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Is it amazing that the eighteen years later.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
All of them can do that with the around just
shit there.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
And rattle them off, because because you don't forget, you
don't forget.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
So here comes New England, right boom. They picked me.
So I said, okay, I'm still pissed. First Round'm pissed.
And I remember my defensive coordinator at the time, Randon Shendon,
he coming. He came to me. He said, listen, no
he called me. He said, Ben, listen, I know you
pissed off, in you upset, but you're gonna be the
first one to get a ring watch. I said, no,
I don't want to hear that. I'm pissed off. And
then DJ Williams came, and then are other guys they came.
(11:51):
They was happy, you know, and I was still I
was in. I was pissed off because I'm so competitive.
I'm like, how the hell I'm the sixth Hurricane pick
Like that on't make no sense. So I finally let
it go, and I throughout my career, I say, well,
I'm gonna show you I'm the best one of these
Hurricanes that got drafted that year. That was the inside
that was burning and driving me. And sure enough my
(12:12):
first year Super Bowl, and I remember when I wanted.
I called my defensive coordinator, Randon Shan and I said, listen, coach,
you told me I was going to be the first
one to win one, and you were right. And I
kind of let it go. Then. So now I sit
back with all those guys and I say, yeah, y'all
went before me, But I had the better career and
(12:32):
I played with the best team that you can possibly
play with. So I'm okay where I got drafted, you know.
So it's always an inside joke, but a great story.
I'll never forget it. You know that that was one
of the things that one of the multiple things that
drove me to be the best I could be.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
I had some talent with you on that defensive flight too.
Huh No, no shortage your first round picks on that line.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Now, I'm thinking it was three years we had eighteen
or nineteen first rounders University of my mean three year
span and with our class being the top one with
six in the first round, I think we tied somebody.
And at that time, I really didn't know what what
that meant. I mean, I'd be like, man, this is
what we do. We Hurricane, we go to the NFL.
(13:15):
We may have good careers. But you look at it now,
it's like, and you know, six in the first round
haven't happened. You know the longevity that you know, Hurricanes
we typically have and the production. You know, so if
you go and look at you know, all the great
Hurricanes that played and where they went and how they
played in the NFL their careers, they had amazing careers.
(13:37):
So now I'm able to sit back and be like, yes,
I'm part of that fraternity down at the University of Miami.
Not only did we did it in college, we also
did it at the highest level, you know, and being
a Patriot Hall of Fame, and that just speaks volume
of not only my play, but from everywhere that I
that I come from, from my upbringing, you know, from
(13:59):
my coaches and how school and in college, and a
lot of a lot of credit go to Bill Belichick
because Bill and Craft believed it in me. Took a
guy from a thirty four from a four to three
penetrating defense, brung him in the system and had to
teach me the system, you know. And I just remember
those days just trying to learn it. Everything I was
(14:19):
doing was too fast. So it was like everything was
opposite of college. You know. I got to stay front
side in college NFL, when we stay in backside. I
was fast. I had to be fast in college quick.
In college I had to slow down. And then pros.
So everything I was trained and learned to do as
a high school and a college splayer, I had to
(14:39):
retrain who I was to be a football player in
this type of defense.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
And so Keith was here, you're rookie trail yep, right,
and so you're splitting. I mean he's starting at the time,
you know. And was that pissed off fence will Fork
taking the field in training camp or did you feel
like me and I got a lot to learn. I'd
better not be as pissed off and try to be
a sponge with all these different things that they're thrown
(15:03):
at you right out of the chute, and let me
work my way, let me learn this, and then let
me see how I can contribute after I learned this.
What was your mindset?
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Like my mindset was I need to be on the field,
and it really wasn't. I was upset I didn't start,
you know because in college, only year I started was
my last year there. You know, I played behind two
defensive tackles in college my first and second year, but
my playing time I played more than them. So that
really didn't bother me. And I knew Keith Trelor was
(15:35):
an older guy coming in and he never really played
in his defense, so it was new to him too.
And he was an older guy, and you know, you know,
just age ketchup. You know, I used to see him
rub his knees and all this stuff and put all
the stuff on in his locker, and we used to
laugh at him. He said, don't worry about a young buck.
You don't get my age. One day you're gonna be
doing the same thing I'm doing, you know. But me
and me and Keith had a great relationship. It was
(15:59):
no it was never no jealousy there. We learned off
each other because every time I had to do something,
even though I was a rookie, he had to do
it because we both had to learn how to be
a nose tackle. Because think about it, we were trying
to replace the great Ted Washington at that position. So
and also in my mind was like, okay, New England
Pagers just won a Super Bowl and they picked me
(16:21):
first rounder. I can't let them down. So all that
drove me. And I know how I work, in the
work I put in with study and stuff, it wasn't
gonna be a problem for me to hit the field
and start making plays. I just needed to understand the
system I was in, and I think by year three
(16:42):
that's when I really got a hold of what it
took to be a nose tackle. In his defense, and
from year three on it was history.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Ted Washington is the only guy in that locker room.
I've been here for twenty three seasons. He's the only
guy that ever scared the ever living crap out of me.
I was frightened of him, you know, just as personal aside.
I can tell you a long story but for another podcasting. Right, So,
but you have you know, you have Keith obviously, who
was instrumental in you guys learning.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
But you got Richard.
Speaker 3 (17:15):
Seymour on the one side, Ty Warren on the other
just to be part of that, I mean, probably the
greatest defensive line team history.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
I would thank you no question.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
Just what was it like to be out there with
all those you know, you got Brew and Ravees and
it is behind you, I mean.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
Ty Long and then the second like, man, what a
defense man? Let me tell you something. Me and Ty
we talked about this and we didn't realize when we played,
but I would put our front three against any front
three in history in the third or four to two
gap of defense, I'll put us up against it. It
(17:51):
didn't matter. I don't care who you come talk to, Okay,
I don't care who you bring up. I would put
that three up against anybody. Hey, what we had up front?
You had three first rounders, and then don't forget Jarvis
Green the second round, and that he was he was
our our hybrid. You know, if Richard need to blow
(18:13):
a tidy, need to broke, he come in. But he
was our third down specialist, so we knew. And then
we had third down. We had five, but you had
we had Brew and we had Ted or Ted Johnson
in the middle, and then we had Willie McGinnis and
Mike Rabel and don't forget Roosevelt was over you see.
And then you go on the back end, you got
Ty locking down one side, you got a Sante Samuel
(18:34):
and Pool on one side. Then you got Wilson in
the back, and you had Harrison. So yes, our defense
was stacked.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
So Vince to that point. Okay, And I think a
lot of Patriots fans have been talking about this. It
doesn't get the run that maybe it should get nationally. Okay,
I take nothing away from it, but offense sells. Everybody
loves the quarterback, and there's nobody greater than Tom. But
that defense, you're now starting to see maybe a little
bit of movement. It took them a while. Ties in
(19:04):
the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Richard had to be
knocking for a few years. Do you finally see some
movement nationally that maybe you guys are getting the respected
You understand that defense.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Deserves You have to. You have to because if you
look at those players, not only they changed offenses we
played against, but we had a lot of teams and
defenses try to mimic what we did defensively. So we
was a trendset of all this new era stuff that guys,
(19:35):
all of a sudden you start seeing running the thirty
four defense in sentate five, you know, or sending four
like we started all that. They tried to figure out
what we were doing. So they took what we were
doing and try to implement it in their system. You see,
but you just can't. It got to be both. You
got to know how to coach and you got to
know how to play it. It has to be both.
(19:57):
You can't have one in the other. And we had both.
We had defensive minding coaches. We had Romeo Cameo and
we had Bill Belichick that was back in the days
New York. They coached together. And then with the saving
in Alabama, So you look at Alabama what they do
and in college, So that Tree, that Parcelles Trigg, that
Bill Belichick Trigg is everywhere. And what we did defensively,
(20:21):
A lot of people don't like it because we wasn't flashy.
We wasn't flashed, you see, a lot of people didn't
like it because we didn't have the big plays like that. No,
we was very very consistent at being consistent.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
Last year in the Hall of Fame ceremony when Richard
went in, Bruski was there, and Bruski there was a
panel discussion and it was Ty Warren, Willie McGinnis and
Richard Seymour and Brusk goes, let me stand behind them,
and he stood behind them for a second. He goes,
nobody can see me. And he comes up in between
(20:58):
me goes, what do you think I think it was
like playing linebacker when these guys were here. Yes, you
guys did all the work. Rabel, Bruce, Ki, etc. They
just show you they cleaned up. Thanks for what you
guys did.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
Yeah, we you know. And this is two gapping isn't fun.
I means you have to be a man to be
able to two gap. And if you really want to
see what type of players you have, and how tough
and if you have some dogs or not make them
two gap Because I remember talking with Randy Moss before
(21:31):
and I was explaining him about two gap between two
gaping then four to three penning trading. I said, listen, Randy,
I can put you in the nine technique, in the
one gap, and you can get the job done. Who
you are right there. You can get the job done
and you don't have to touch nobody. You could just
run up feel and you just try to find the ball.
You can do that, I say, But if I put
you in the five where you got to put hands
(21:53):
on somebody and control two gaps, that changes. So I say, yeah,
a lot of guys get a lot of credit and
a lot of recognition of these quarterback sacks and just
running the field. I say, but what we did, it
takes a real man to do that. And not only
once you're talking about for sixty minutes. You're talking about
(22:13):
for a season, and you talk about for a career.
So time and time and time and time. We don't
get no plays off. If it's a pass play, we rushing,
we banging their heads, run play, we fighting doubles, triple
we button head. If you one gaping, you can run
on the air and don't have to touch her soul.
(22:34):
You know, if you one gap him, if God misses
their block with you, you scott free. You only got
that one gap to worry about. But if you're telling
me you can't run around this guy, you got to
go through him. You got to control this. You got
to knock him back. And you got these two gaps
day in and day out. That's defense.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
And but what's sexier? And what we know?
Speaker 2 (22:58):
What?
Speaker 1 (22:58):
What what are the guys look at?
Speaker 3 (22:59):
You know, That's what I was gonna ask. Ever any
resentment mean, did you guys ever go to Bill and
just say hey, you know, just hey, we got the
lead here, you know, turn the sluice a little bit here.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
No, Bill done it good? He you know what. Bill
used to give us some bones here. And we got
to a point where Bill trusted us enough, you know,
and Bill knew what he had. Bill knew he had
three first rounds basically for a first rounder with Jarvis. Yes, up,
Bill that we can control the game. Once we get
to a level in the game, he can let us
loose and he can give us a bone. We had
(23:30):
some plays where he'll call just for us, just to
get us excited. You know. So I wouldn't never say
Bill never, you know, didn't unleash us. He had. And
it was games where Bill come in there and say,
straight up, listen, this game gonna be one up front.
If y'all can't win, we lose. He told us straight up,
if you guys can't do this, we lose. He wasn't
(23:52):
nothing about Tom. He wasn't nothing about no office. It
wasn't nothing about scoring points. He told us straight up,
if you three can't do this, we won't.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Well, I've got one that's probably gonna come up on Saturday.
And only because I was talking to him and it
was a teammate of yours. And Devin told me that
you said before the ravens AFC Championship game. It wasn't
Bill saying it. He said, you said it, And you said, guys,
this one's on us the front seven. We got the
run covered. Yeah, it was Cedric Maxwell. Jump on my back,
(24:22):
he said, jump on my back. I'm going to take
care of you guys. And he said the next day
after the win that Bill was in the auditorium going
over the tape and he looks and he just circled.
He goes, this is a dominating performance. Twenty eleven, a
two championship game. Eleven tackles a couple of sacks. I mean,
that's that's putting your money where your mouth is. Do
(24:45):
you think of that when you look back at your career,
evinces as one of your best games.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
Absolutely, And I like that game because of what it
meant for us. You know, we was coming up against
a team that we always it's a grind. We knew
what was gonna be physical. We knew they wasn't gonna
lay down they We knew that they was gonna match
whatever we put on the field. But in my mindset,
(25:11):
it was like, listen, we better than them. This is
our home turf, and we got it. Short playing and simple.
It's nothing else to talk about. So I knew going
in what it meant, and I knew how much the
team looked up to me, and they listen when I speak,
So I had to always be careful of what I
(25:31):
say when I say things, because I know they're gonna
they're gonna take what I said and this is how
it's gonna be. But I knew that game. I'm like
listen here, they're not gonna beat us because we're gonna win.
In up front, we don't want we don't want you
guys back there worrying about to run. And we got this.
I don't care if it's seven in the box or
six in the box, because it was times where we
(25:52):
had six men in the bike and we used to
call it big. Bill, tell us you guys have to
play big. We went short, okay, Coach, not a problem.
If that's the game plan, we would do that. And
I just knew how important that game was for us
as an organization, as a patriot, for our fans, and
(26:13):
being in front of our crowd, you know. And I
always looked over there too. They had ed Reed, they
had you know, Ray Lewis, they had a Loodinada, they
had a squad.
Speaker 3 (26:23):
It was a great team.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
You guys had some great wars, great wars. So I'm
saying it's us versus y'all. I don't care what you
do offensively, Tom, I really don't care. It's US versus
Ray and his defense period and what happened, right.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
So when you go, you know, Randy Shannon told you
you're gonna be the first to win a ring. You
win it as a rookie. Oh, this is easy. And
I say this with all the respects, and I don't
want to come off as a spoiled Nordle Bostonian. Who Oh,
I had to wait ten years before I got another typle?
Speaker 2 (26:58):
How was that? Ten years? Like from to fourteen? You
said it? Yeah, because that's the first thing I said.
I win it my first year. Because you got to
realize when I get down to University of Miami my
first year, we win it, right, we win it. So
the next year we go back Ohio State, we lost that.
We all know what that is. So here I am,
my first year in the league as a rookie, I
(27:19):
win another one. So to me winning easy. And guess
what I've lost? What three game? Four game in college?
So it's like I'm used to winning. That's gonna happen
all the time. Year one go by, we don't make it,
your two go by, we don't make it your three.
We go by it. So now I'm scratching my head.
I'm like, man, jeez, I thought that's gonna be easy,
(27:39):
you know. So you start appreciate what you've done and
what you've accomplished and how hard it is to.
Speaker 1 (27:45):
Win because the other guys you're getting paid too.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
Yeah, so it's like, okay, it ain't that easy, you know.
So I had to humble myself like Okay, this don't
come by all the time like that. So that's why
what I would say to the Patriots fans is this,
for two decades, we ran the NFL. Nobody would never
see this again while we're living. I truly believe that
(28:07):
we ran it. We need to appreciate what's been done
and how it was done over these past two decades.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
Can you now that you're out of events? You know,
Bill talks about it all the time. Bill's asked all
the time, Oh Bill, what about this? What was your
favorite thing? And he goes, It'll be time to think
about that when it's over. It's now over for you.
Can you look back at that kind of with a
clear head and go, holy smokes, look at what we accomplished.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
Yes, And that's as I was planning. I never could.
I wouldn't even allow myself to. But when I retired,
and I tell people, it's like when I was in
you know, my my train it got started rolling early
in my life because of just what I've been through
(28:57):
and it only sped up. You know, when I got
to the NFL, I couldn't stop. You know, I couldn't
stop my train. My train was rolling. And when your
train roally, you don't have time to sit back and
see who's all getting on and getting off the train.
Because you're the conductor. You have to you have to drive.
You have to make sure that train stay on track right.
(29:18):
But soon it's over, that train stops and then you
can step off and you can look back and say,
I've been to all these places, I done, did all
of this. Now you have a satisfactory of seeing dang,
I can't believe I did this. But that only happens
when it's over. And I'm not talking about when the seasons,
(29:38):
so I'm talking about when your career is though, when
you have time where you can sit back and understand
what you really accomplish. And that's that's where I'm at. Now.
You have to put it in perspective, and that's what
I'm doing.
Speaker 3 (29:49):
So, do you have one that maybe stands out, you know,
one of those games, one of those titles, one of
those moments that stands out for you above.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
The one that stands out to me is the it's
what the the second Giants lost? What as eleven? Yep,
that one stands out to me the most, and that
one right there hurt me the most.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
Because we're show than the first Giants.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
Yes, yes, yes, because I thought the third Hooper Bowl,
the second one we lost with then on eleven, I
thought that team we had was a team full of
guts and grind. I mean we were some grinders. I
mean we were tough. We was mentally tough. And also
(30:36):
I feel that at that moment, that was my defense.
You see my handprint, My handprints was on that defense
at that time. So when I delivered messages and when
I spoke to guys and when we talk and we
had meetings, they were locked in. I remember when I
(30:56):
was looking at Chong and just how he was looking
at me. It was like I saw fire. It was
like he could have ran through that brick wall if
I were told him and see it. Get me, get
me kind of going now, because that's one that got
away from us. Because that team, that team was a
(31:18):
great football team and also be coming off of Myra,
you know, her death, so we had all that bottle.
Everybody wanted to win for mister Craft and Myra so
and we had it all even like being we had
it all like going to that Super Bowl. Bill told listen,
we're gonna work where we're gonna also enjoy ourselves in
(31:40):
this moment.
Speaker 1 (31:41):
And I remember that you remember that though it was
a oh seven, that wasn't the case.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
No, you guys seven.
Speaker 3 (31:47):
You guys were from the moment we got on the
plane to go with O seven, we were all up
tight right right, And I felt like you guys were
visibly up tight yep all week.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
And I remember in the hotel lobby in eleven it
was a differ for look you wa wait a minute,
Bill went to the Thursday night party.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
And I don't mean this to sound, you know, disrespectful.
I think out of the Super Bowl teams that you
were part of in that we were around, that was
one of the lesser talented ones. But the way you
describe it with with the grittiness and the toughness, I
would agree with. But I mean, you guys had jewels
back in the secondary, like chasing guys around in the
AMC Title game like that team just got by on
(32:25):
like you know, got him, got to it, just like
Kevin Garnett Britain Balls.
Speaker 2 (32:31):
You know, you know, we was a younger group.
Speaker 1 (32:33):
We had a young you know, Nao, Cody, It's like.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
We were young, but they had the right mindset and
an attitude. And you can win with that. You you
can win with guys you can coach and you can
teach and that's willing to learn and willing to listen.
You can win with that. And that's why I say
that Super Bowl was probably one of the hardest games
for me.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
Okay, we got to wrap things up here in a second,
so I'm going to finish with this one.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
Vince.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
The reason why we're here is because this weekend you
get to be inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame.
What does that honor mean to you?
Speaker 2 (33:06):
Vince? You know, I I just spoke on being able
to stop that train and look back with all you know,
everything you've been through, and it says a lot about
my teammates, the fans, staff, everybody that's affiliated with this organization.
(33:28):
I am humble and honored to get this accolade. And
this is for all of us. It's not just for me,
it's for every fan that's out there. At at I
stepped on that field, and I looked up in those
stands that I c I can badly hear each other
giving the calls, the music that we play, the excitement
(33:50):
that came from the fans day in and day out,
every Sunday, Monday, Thursday. They were there. They never left us.
You know, That's what this is for. And that makes
me feel good because I'm going into the Patriots Hall
of Fame not only by myself, but with all of
my fans and everybody else that I ran and encountered
(34:11):
with through the course of my career. So this is
a moment that I'm always going to cherish, and.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
This will for all of us well said, well deserved.
And I hope you have a hell of a time
this week, and I hope you can. I hope you
can smell the roses.
Speaker 2 (34:25):
And enjoy it. Oh will you will enjoy it.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
Congratulations, n Congratulations, Thank you guys.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
Thank you for downloading this podcast. Subscribe on the Apple,
google Play, and everywhere else you listen. Like the show,
Please rate and review us. Listener comments and ratings help
keep us high on the podcast rankings so new listeners
can find us.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
Be sure to check Patriots dot com for more news
and more podcasts
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