BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- Former New England Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, who played for the team from 2004-2014 and was part of two Super Bowl championship teams, visited practice on Thursday as a guest of the club.
Head coach Bill Belichick was happy to see Wilfork, saying in the official media pool report, “He’s a great leader for us, team captain [many] years. A lot of friends here on the team, some new faces, but a guy that was very well respected and had tremendous leadership on the team.”
Tight end Rob Gronkowski, who played five seasons with Wilfork, said part of the message to players was to “cherish the moment.”
“Vince is a great teammate and a great player, and it’s always good to see Vince around, especially this week, here in Minnesota,” he said. “He’s an inspiration. How much hard work he’s put in through the years. He came with some good words of wisdom.”
The following is the pool report, filed by Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post:
The New England Patriots were in the middle of a lengthy special-teams period when a small crowd gathered along the sideline at the 50-yard mark at the Vikings’ Winter Park facility.
Veteran linebacker James Harrison, clad in his usual baggy sweatpants, joined veteran defensive backs Devin McCourty and Patrick Chung to chat up Vince Wilfork, a 13-year nose tackle who signed a one-day contract last year to retire as a Patriot. They traded barbs and laughs before the current players were called back to the field to close out the team’s workout.
Shortly after, Patriots coach Bill Belichick called for the end of practice and ordered his players to circle round at midfield while Wilfork held court. He relayed some lessons learned from his four Super Bowls with the Patriots. And he encouraged the players to stay focused.
His message: There will be plenty of distractions in the next three days, but remember why you’re here.
Wilfork was the guest of honor Thursday afternoon during the Patriots’ second day of practice ahead of Super Bowl LII. But his return wasn’t the only positive for the team.
Gronkowski and defensive lineman Deatrich Wise Jr. both practiced in full for the first time since suffering concussions, and both will be cleared from the protocol, Belichick said.
Defensive backs Malcolm Butler (illness) and Brandon King (knee) were also full participants after practicing on a limited basis Wednesday.
And quarterback Tom Brady again practiced with only black KT Tape -- no glove -- on his right hand.
Balancing game prep with players’ health to ensure they stay fresh for the Super Bowl is an act Belichick has played seven other times as a head coach, and by now, he has a routine from which he rarely strays.
“It's a long year but we're in a routine, we do what we do,” he said. “So part of getting ready for the game is training for the game that week. We kind of have stayed pretty much in our own routine.”
As planned, the team practiced in shells and helmets Thursday and had a lighter period than the up-tempo, fully padded session on Wednesday. The nearly two-hour workout included time dedicated to special teams but was also used to sharpen some things from the previous day.
“A little better than yesterday,” Belichick said. “We got a few things cleaned up. So I think we're getting a little closer each day. Hopefully, we'll be at our best on Sunday.”
Friday will be even lighter and Saturday will be primarily a gathering of friends and family for a team photo. Friday will also include a kicking session for the specialists at U.S. Bank Stadium. They had one Wednesday as well.
But no matter the location, Belichick said the team’s focus will remain the same as Super Bowl LII approaches.
“There's a lot to deal with,” he said. “We have distractions all year long, so we've dealt with a lot. We just try to maintain focus on our job and whatever the outside stuff is, minimize it. We have to deal with it sometimes, depending on what it is, but we try to minimize it and try to stay focused on our job.”