Don't ever, ever call Vince Wilfork just a nose tackle.
He's much more than that.
"I'm a defensive lineman," the new Texan said during a Thursday one-on-one interview. "That's what I tell everybody who refers to me as a nose tackle. I can play anywhere along the line, and throughout my career I've done it."
The day after Wilfork signed his free agent deal with the Texans, John Harris did an excellent job detailing the different ways the veteran defender can line up in coordinator Romeo Crennel's defense. Wilfork chirped up about it last week when he was in the stadium visiting with coaches and teammates.
"That was a luxury I had being up there in New England with Bill Belichick," Wilfork said. "He knows how to showcase his talent. So he kind of moved me around a little bit, and I got a chance to play everywhere on the line."
Traditional nose tackles in a 3-4 defense typicall come off the field in passing situations. That's not been the case with Wilfork, who's exceptionally nimble for a man of 325 pounds.
The 12-year pro emphasized his versatility, as well as his love for football, as a pair of strengths he'll add to the Texans.
"I still have the passion for the game," Wilfork said. "That's the most important part: being able to have the passion."
Wilfork and the Texans begin offseason conditioning work two weeks from today, on April 20.
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Defensive lineman Vince Wilfork's NFL career is chronicled.
