Vince Wilfork elected to Patriots Hall of Fame

Posted by Michael David Smith on May 17, 2022, 11:31 AM EDT
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Vince Wilfork is the newest member of the Patriots Hall of Fame.

Wilfork was initially one of three nominees chosen by a panel of media, team staff and former Patriots, who also nominated Logan Mankins and Mike Vrabel. Fans then chose Wilfork over Mankins and Vrabel as the newest member of the team’s Hall of Fame.

A first-round draft pick out of Miami in 2004, Wilfork played 11 seasons for the Patriots, winning two Super Bowl rings and being chosen to five Pro Bowls.

Wilfork finished his career by playing two seasons for the Texans. He retired after the 2016 season.

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19 responses to “Vince Wilfork elected to Patriots Hall of Fame”

  1. Deserving!

    Vrabel should be next. There are others that should be in line ahead of Mankins.

  4. Hugely deserved. What a stud he was. How many 300+ guys could get as many athletic INTs, hit as hard as he hit Donald Jones, and take up space as a run devouring NT like he did.

  7. I always thought he was better than Richard Seymour when they played together. Seymour is going in the HOF. Not many nose tackles in the HOF but worth of consideration in MHO.

  8. No brainer. He’s going to Canton next. Best 3-4 NT I’ve ever seen and Ngata is a close second, but Vince won’t be a 1st ballot because of his position.

    There just haven’t been many 350 lb NTs who were that athletic (sounds funny, I know) and had to have a double team on every snap or the opponents’ day would be ruined for 4 qtrs.

    Ted Washington comes to mind, Keith Traylor, etc, even going back to Jim Burt (smallish, probably 290) in the 1980s, he was good, and it’s totally an unforgiving position by how its designed, but no one did it better in my 40 years of watching the NFL.

    I am sure I am missing a couple of names in here as well. Casey Hampton was good, but not on the Wilfork/Ngata level.

    I am not saying Vince is 1st ballot, but he’s going in like Seymour did last year. In our society of immediate gratification, people lose sight of what actually is the backbone of a team concept. It’s not sacks. Its not bad run defense either. It’s fundamentals, consistency and high level of that quality.

    If I am starting an all time 3-4 D, Reggie White is one DE, Seymour at the other DE..those are my starters, I’ve got Vince at NT, Lawrence Taylor and Charles Haley are more 2 OLBs.

    Night night. No one is running on that defense or passing on it. Ever.

  10. pioniere says:
    May 17, 2022 at 12:05 pm
    Great defensive tackle. Also one of the dirtiest.
    —
    I doubt that. The only play that stands out was the elbow on JP Losman but one play does not make a player one of the dirtiest.

  11. I would love tickets to that banquet, the buffet will be fantastic.

  12. But haters told us the Patriots dynasty was all Brady not other HOF players and coaches surrounding him. Congrats Vince, well deserved.

  13. Another draft bust by Bill Belichick .

    Way to go Vince you deserve it. Now lets get Vrabes in already

  14. Picked 21st overall.

    Twenty chances to draft him ahead of when Belichick did. One guy he beat out for the Patriots HOF, Logan Mankins, was picked 32nd. Vrabel was brought in as a low level free agent that the Steelers let walk.

    All three are champions.

  15. Weird to say but a NT is one of my favorite Pats players ever. Nothing better than when he led the team in INTs for a few weeks.

    Unless it was him on Hard Knocks when he was on the Texans….look it up.

  16. pats4xchamps says:
    May 17, 2022 at 2:00 pm
    Another draft bust by Bill Belichick .

    Way to go Vince you deserve it. Now lets get Vrabes in already

    71Rate This
    —————-

    Nah. If you put Vrabel in, Ninkovich has to go in. Lunch pail guys who are blue collar contributors, consistent and good performers are valuable, but they aren’t Pats Hall of Famers.

    Not a huge fan of putting in non-drafted guys anyway.

  17. Nah. If you put Vrabel in, Ninkovich has to go in. Lunch pail guys who are blue collar contributors, consistent and good performers are valuable, but they aren’t Pats Hall of Famers.
    —-
    I think Vrabel will get in. The Patriots HOF symbolizes excellence for the Patriots both (or either) on and off the field. He’s done that.

    Surprised there are no coaches in there yet. I would not vote for Parcells but he’ll be nominated again. I think Fairbanks should be in. We still see Bill’s defense use the Fairbanks-Bullough 3-4.

  18. Well deserved. While were talking about nose tackles getting into the HOF, Fred Smerlas should be in there as well.

  19. Surprised there are no coaches on the list.

    Belichick goes without saying but he’s still active. I’d say yes to Fairbanks, no to Parcells for reasons I’ve posted before. Fairbanks was also a better coach with the Patriots than Parcells.

    Another fun fact about Parcells: he is a sub .500 coach without Belichick on his staff. Take away Belichick from Parcells career and he is Dave Wannestedt. LOL

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