“Butterball” Vince Wilfork says people are surprised he can dunk

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On Monday Patriots coach Bill Belichick gushed about how athletic and in shape defensive tackle Vince Wilfork is. But Wilfork says most people don’t realize just what a good athlete he is.

Asked today what most surprises people that he can do, Wilfork said, “Probably dunk a basketball. People look at me and are like, ‘He’s a butterball, he can’t.’”

There’s no hiding the fact that Wilfork is fat. He’s listed at 6-foot-2 and 325 pounds, which pegs his body mass index at 41.7, on a scale where anything over 30 is obese. And Wilfork probably weighs a good deal more than 325 — in college the Miami Hurricanes listed him at 344 pounds, and he sure doesn’t look like he’s lost 19 pounds since college.

But football is a sport in which fat people can thrive, especially if they’re as athletic as Wilfork. If Wilfork plays as well against the Giants in the Super Bowl as he did against the Ravens getting to the Super Bowl, he could become the biggest Super Bowl MVP ever.

57 responses to ““Butterball” Vince Wilfork says people are surprised he can dunk

  1. “football is a sport in which fat people can thrive”

    Not only have you just insulted the professional foot ball players, you have also insulted 68% of the people in the USA!

  2. I’m not surprised. If a bag man lasts in the NFL as long as Wilfork has, you can bet the farm he’s an exceptional athlete.

    To be able to move laterally, to move suddenly, to have stamina and have a body that’s resistant to lower body injuries from wear and tear, all at that playing weight and size, is truly rare – even moreso than players like JPP.

  3. He couldn’t jump high enopugh to get a sheet of loose leaf under his feet!!! Only thing he dunks is twinkies!!!

  4. “talkintrashallday says:
    Feb 1, 2012 11:15 AM
    there’s no way this fatty can dunk lol he can’t even get his stubby arms all the way up”

    What, like he did on one of is INTs this year ?

    Sorry, thanks for playing though.

  5. Big Vince is one of the most unreal athletes in the game today. He just doesn’t play a “glam” position so most average fans don’t know he’s there.

    He’s DEFINITELY there though. I’m a Dolphins fan and he’s been blowing up our offensive backfield for years…. A true pro’s pro and surefire HOF’er in my opinion.

  6. Sometimes in minicamps the Patriots will do a scrimmage-like drill where the offense and defense swap roles. Wilfork always plays the quarterback and is apparently is awesome at it. The Herald had a photo of it last year, and it was hilarious.

  7. His interception against the Chargers was a good example. Tip and catch followed by a 30 yard run in which no one on the Chargers o line could catch him and he only went down because a receiver eventually fell into his legs and tripped him. Nobody wanted to tackle him until he was already on the ground.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_RUvrD4nmA

  8. I surprised a ton of people in the Army when we would be training. I weighed 250 pounds and moved out like a bullet train. Of course, people that didn’t see me do that stuff always had a look of disbelief on their face when I talked about it, but oh well. Can’t please everyone.

    Some people are built to climb rocks, others built to move mountains. Here’s to the athletic big guys getting it done.

  9. These guys are athletes, so I can’t say it really suprises me. I remember a few years ago for one of the NHL’s winter classic’s they had hockey players taking batting practice and they were hitting balls out of the park. The point is, most of these guys could play other sports at a pretty competitive level. I’m not saying Vince Wilfork is going to play for the Lakers or anything, but the guy is shockingly quick for his size.

  10. Paul Bissonnette (BizNasty) – hockey player for the Phoenix Coyotes said the other day that he hates seeing dunk highlights on sports center every day because its something that so many athletes can easily do.

    Vince Wilfork further proof of that.

  11. I love it when these idiots post on a Pats blog. They have absolutely no clue of or knowledge of the team or it’s players. They go by what they have heard or read about someone or thing and then post their ridiculous thoughts (which to them are the most creative and intelligent thoughts ever in the history of mankind) and make themselves look like total fools.

  12. dyims says:
    Feb 1, 2012 11:48 AM
    I love it when these idiots post on a Pats blog. They have absolutely no clue of or knowledge of the team or it’s players. They go by what they have heard or read about someone or thing and then post their ridiculous thoughts (which to them are the most creative and intelligent thoughts ever in the history of mankind) and make themselves look like total fools.

    ——————————–

    Kind of like you did just now…

  13. This is not BS. He is also remarkably fast.
    Keeps challenging Brady to a race, not sure if it ever happened?
    Great athlete.

  14. THE U BABY! Love my Canes. Wilfork is the man. That being said, there is just no way Wilfork can dunk. Seeing is believing and until I see it, I don’t believe it for one second.

  15. It’s no shock that Wilfork can dunk. I’ve seen the dude dunk over a dozen donuts into his hot chocolate during one sitting.

  16. All the talk about the Giants D-Line, and rightfully so….but I wont be shocked if the Patriots D-Line has a better day against an average Giants O-Line.

    Big Vince Wilfork, Mark Anderson (has 12 sacks this year including playoffs), Shaun Ellis, and little known but solid players in Kyle Love and Brandon Deaderick.

  17. I used to play basketball at this gym in northern virginia and punter Matt Turk would play there a lot when he was a Redskins. The guy would dunk on anyone that got between him and the basket. These guys are amazing athletes. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Wilfork can throw it down big man.

  18. fittytuckin says: Feb 1, 2012 11:25 AM

    People say Haloti Ngata can too. Still it’s impressive if great big fat people can do it.
    —————————————————
    Buuuuuut, the Ravens aren’t in the Super Bowl, so that’s a non story.

  19. Shaun Rogers was also said to be able to dunk and once entertained the media by catching passes from a JUGS machine one-handed. These guys aren’t paid millions just because they’re fat.

  20. BMI is not a good measurement of obesity, or really anything.

    According to BMI, The Rock is obese and Lebron and Kobe are overweight.

  21. Actually not to surprising if you think about it. As a defensive lineman, the most important lift is the power clean as this adds to explosiveness. The ability to get off the snap and cause an impact driving the offensive lineman back is critical to the game of Wilfork. This muscle groups strengthened by the clean are the same that give you the explosiveness in the hips to get up and dunk.

  22. Body Mass Index, or BMI is not an accurate measure of body fat for anyone with above average muscle. For example, Rob Gronkowski is 6’6″, 265 lbs, which equals 30.6 BMI. So he must be obese too.

  23. I remember 15 or 20 years ago reading an article about Emmitt Smith, with many other Cowboys getting quoted. One of the O-linemen said something like, “Before Emmitt, I was just a fat guy. Now I’m a fat guy with athletic ability.”

  24. A CMSgt from Westover Reserve Base I know sat with him at the kickoff gala and said he is sooo much bigger in person. Westover is the Patriot Wing and they have the Patriot’s logo on the tail of their C5s. It seems not many people know this. I have a coin from the base that has the Patriot logo on it.

  25. @bullcharger

    I could jump higher 9 years ago too.

    26.5 inches plus 74 inches = 100.5 inches = 8.3 feet

    Have to figure that his arm is about a foot and half length over his head which puts him about being able to touch the rim. To dunk, you need to be the ball up and over, which means you’re probably about 10.5 feet at highest point.

    He can’t dunk.

  26. If all it took to be an NFL DT / NT was size every guy who is 6’2 300 plus pounds would be on an NFL team. There has to be something about him physically that sets him apart from guys who are just fat and out of shape, so I’m not really that suprised that he can dunk.

  27. @bullcharger

    I could jump higher 9 years ago too.

    26.5 inches plus 74 inches = 100.5 inches = 8.3 feet

    Have to figure that his arm is about a foot and half length over his head which puts him about being able to touch the rim. To dunk, you need to be the ball up and over, which means you’re probably about 10.5 feet at highest point.

    He can’t dunk.
    —————-

    Your verticle at the combine is from a complete standstill with no momentum.

    Like I said before, if Papa Sapp can do it, Wilfork can…end of story

  28. He’s talking about playing NBA 12 on X-box right? Maybe the NBA should start having a celebrity dunk contest on all star weekend. I think it would kill the ratings you throw Big Vince, vs, Chaz Bono etc. must see TV. Stick to what you’re good at Vince , tackling people and filling holes.

  29. Another thing people may underestimate about him, and most other NFL D-linemen, is that they can run much faster than the average American… With that said, call him fat to his face and see wtf happens.

  30. BMI is a complete joke. You are either overweight or not. Chances are that some dork who got picked on in high school came up with BMI to make himself feel better about jackin it every night. According to BMI some people in amazing shape are obese simply because they lift weights a lot. Not to say obesity isn’t a problem in America obviously it is. I just don’t think BMI is the only indicator of health.

  31. This doesn’t surprise me even one bit. I played in a pickup basketball game with Willie McGinest, Darrell Russel, and a couple other USC guys once… and Darrell Russel (given, he was pretty young, just an NFL rookie) dunked… easily. Thankfully, it was not on me, but he dunked, more than once.

  32. There are sumo wrestlers who can dunk (Teila Tuli, for example); this sort of thing isn’t exceedingly rare with top-level athletes. God, I’d hate to be the guy guarding the paint on that play.

  33. its more a testimony of his athletic ability because of QB skills in inter squad games. he’s a big man bad a##. and a real ugly one too. he throws a good pass too apparently. Mike Vick can only dunk.

  34. My personal trainer weighs 235, 5’10” solid muscle, he can’t get life insurance because his BMI says he’s obese.

    BMI is a bunch of B.S.

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