On any given Sunday when the New England Patriots step out on the field, there is one thing that will be noticed and that is the heart of defensive tackle Vince Wilfork. Now in his ninth season with the Patriots, Wilfork has become a leader of a defense that has struggled but has lead with a leadership and passion that has made those around him improve and feed off of his energy. On Saturday, the former Miami Hurricane was selected to the 2012 Associated Press All-Pro team according to Boston.com. This is the first time Wilfork has been voted to the first team.
Wilfork is one of two patriots who were selected joining guard Logan Mankins and came in second amongst defensive tackles behind Geno Atkins of the Cincinnati Bengals being named on 27 of the 50 ballots. This is a big honor for Wilfork but his bigger focus is on Sunday’s divisional playoff game against the Houston Texans. The Patriots, with a victory, now have a chance to host the AFC Championship game after Denver’s 38-35 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday.
Amongst the other Patriots who received votes for the All-Pro team was Tom Brady who came in third behind quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers who have both been eliminated from the playoffs. Rob Gronkowski who missed five games with a broken forearm came in third amongst tight ends. Jarod Mayo, Wes Welker, Sebastian Vollmer and Devin McCourty also received a vote at their respective positions.
Vince Wilfork and the New England Patriots host the Houston Texans Sunday at 4:30 P.M. on CBS.
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