FOXBORO, Mass. — Vince Wilfork was notoriously blunt over the course of his 13-year NFL career, and things haven’t changed now that the former defensive lineman has hung up his cleats.
Wilfork was in Foxboro on Sunday for a special tailgate prior to the New England Patriots’ matchup with the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium. Speaking with the media, the two-time Super Bowl champion provided his two cents on President Donald Trump’s comments about NFL players who protest “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
“You know what, it’s like — he’s a leader of this country, and to talk to citizens the way he did, no matter what is going on, to talk to us like that is unacceptable. Hands down,” Wilfork told reporters. “I don’t give a damn who he is. It’s unacceptable. That’s how I feel about it. I am retired now, but at the same time, football is a brotherhood. Sports is a brotherhood. When you are in the locker room, it’s a brotherhood. To be called what he called us, that was a slap of the face to a lot of people. I just think it’s unacceptable.”
Speaking at a rally in Huntsville, Ala. on Friday, Trump lashed out at players who protest the national anthem, saying they should be “fired.” Several NFL players spoke out following Trump’s comments, including Devin McCourty, Martellus Bennett, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady.
Many team owners around the league also have condemned Trump’s words. Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan linked arms with his players during the national anthem prior to the team’s game against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday morning, while Patriots owner Robert Kraft said he was “deeply disappointed” in the tone of Trump’s message.
Thumbnail photo via Matthew Emmons/USA TODAY Sports Images
