Vince Wilfork Vincent Lamar Wilfork ( born November 4 , 1981 ) is an American football nose tackle for the New England Patriots of the National Football League ( NFL ) . He was drafted by the Patriots in the first round ( 21st overall ) in the 2004 NFL Draft . He played college football at the University of Miami . Wilfork is considered to be one of the premier defensive tackles in the NFL , and was named both to the Pro Bowl and the All - Pro team in , , , and . Early years . Wilfork was born in Boynton Beach , Florida and attended Santaluces Community High School in Palm Beach County , Florida . There , he was a letter winner in football , wrestling , and track and field . In football , he won " USA Today " ' s second team All - American honors . In track and field , Wilfork was the Florida Class 4A state champion in the shot put and the in 2000 . He also holds the Florida state high school record in the shot put with a throw of 68 feet . College career . Wilfork attended the University of Miami where he participated in both football and track and field ; he holds the Miami indoor school record in the shot put . In his freshman season , Wilfork did not start but played in every game as a defensive tackle , finishing tenth in the team on tackles with 41 while also recording a sack and forcing three fumbles . Wilfork did not start a game in his 2002 sophomore season either , but still recorded 43 tackles and seven sacks . Before the 2003 season , Wilfork was rated the second best defensive tackle in the country by " The Sporting News " and went on to start all 13 games for Miami . He finished the year with a career high 64 tackles and led the team with 20 quarterback hurries . He was named to the All - Big East Conference first - team following the season , which would prove to be his last in Miami as he decided to forgo his senior season and enter the 2004 NFL Draft . Professional career . 2004 NFL Draft . Wilfork was ranked as the No . 2 defensive tackle going into the 2004 NFL Draft , behind only Tommie Harris . Although regarded as a top - 10 talent , Wilfork was criticized for lackadaisical effort during his junior season , basically playing " not to get hurt . " Wilfork drew comparisons to fellow Miami alumnus Warren Sapp , and was projected a mid - first round pick . The Patriots drafted Wilfork with the 21st overall pick . He was the highest selected Miami Hurricane defensive tackle since Damione Lewis in 2001 . New England Patriots . 2004 – 06 seasons . In his rookie 2004 season with the Patriots , he compiled two sacks , 42 tackles , and three deflected passes . Wilfork saw considerable playing time during his rookie season , sharing the nose tackle position with veteran Keith Traylor and started Super Bowl XXXIX against the Philadelphia Eagles , a Patriots victory . Following Traylor ' s release , Wilfork had a career - high 54 tackles in 2005 ; however , the defending champions were eliminated in the second round of playoffs by the Denver Broncos . In 2006 , Wilfork finished the season with 50 tackles . 2007 – 08 seasons . In the 2007 season , Wilfork notched 7 solo tackles and a big 8 - yard sack of Ben Roethlisberger in Week 13 in a 34 - 13 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers . He finished the season with 48 tackles and two sacks , was selected to the 2008 Pro Bowl , and was named as a second - team All - Pro selection . Wilfork was fined a total of four times by the NFL in the 2007 season . In the third game of the season he was fined $ 12 , 500 by the NFL for his hit on Buffalo Bills quarterback J . P . Losman , a hit which ended Losman ' s career as a starter . This was appealed to the NFL and reduced to $ 2 , 500 . In an October 14 game against the Dallas Cowboys , Wilfork was fined $ 5 , 000 for drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct foul when he tangled with Cowboys tight end Jason Witten . In the last game of the regular 2007 season , Wilfork placed his finger in the facemask of New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs after a play in the second quarter . He was fined $ 15 , 000 . He was also fined $ 5 , 000 for a 15 - yard face - mask penalty called in the against the San Diego Chargers , while attempting to tackle running back Michael Turner . Wilfork ' s string of fines continued into the 2008 season , when in an October 20 game against the Denver Broncos Wilfork appeared to elbow Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler in the head after a play . Wilfork met with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in the days following the game and reportedly faced a one - game suspension , but after Wilfork explained his manner of playing to Goodell only a fine was imposed . Wilfork finished the 2008 season with a career - high 66 tackles , while recording two sacks . 2009 – present . Wilfork entered the final season of his contract in 2009 . Reportedly unhappy with not receiving a contract extension , Wilfork did not attend the team ' s voluntary organized team activities in the spring , but reported to the team ' s mandatory sessions later in the summer . In August 2009 , he was named to the Patriots ' 50th anniversary team . Wilfork would go on to start the first 13 games of the season for the Patriots , missing the final three games of the season with an ankle injury before returning for the Patriots ' playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens . He finished the season with 43 tackles and no sacks . Wilfork ' s contract expired after the 2009 season . He stated that he was looking for a long - term deal and threatened with a holdout should the Patriots instead place a franchise tag on him . In an interview with the " South Florida Sun - Sentinel " he also acknowledged it would be " a dream come true " to play for either the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or the Miami Dolphins . On February 22 , Wilfork was assigned the non - exclusive version of the franchise tag by the Patriots , who expressed their desire to reach a long - term contract with Wilfork . On March 5 , the first day of free agency , the Patriots re - signed Wilfork to a five - year , $ 40 million contract with $ 25 million in guaranteed money . After starting the first three games of the 2010 season at nose tackle , Wilfork moved to defensive end beginning in Week 4 against the Miami Dolphins . He returned to start at nose tackle in the Patriots ' Week 8 win over the Minnesota Vikings . He would continue to switch between the positions for the remainder of the season , but started all 16 games and finished with 57 tackles and two sacks . Wilfork was selected to the 2011 Pro Bowl after the season . Wilfork was named to the 2010 AP All - Pro Second Team at defensive tackle , finishing third in the voting , but also received a vote at defensive end . At the start of the 2011 NFL Season , he played defensive tackle when the New England Patriots move to a 4 - 3 defense thanks to his former teammate Albert Haynesworth . In the second game of the 2011 season Wilfork caught his first career interception against the Chargers . He caught his second interception against the Oakland Raiders two weeks later . He scored a touchdown on week 14 against the Washington Redskins at the FedEx Field . During the 2011 season , Wilfork recorded 3 . 5 sacks — a new career high — and was included on the AFC ' s 2012 Pro Bowl roster . In the 2012 AFC Championship game vs . the Ravens , he had one of his best games of his career , recording 1 . 5 sacks and 6 tackles . Personal life . Wilfork lives in Franklin , Massachusetts with his wife Bianca and their three children . Wilfork also started The Vince Wilfork Foundation , a charity that supports diabetes research .