Nose tackle Vince Wilfork drew a large media crowd in the Patriots' locker room today, and said he's reached out to Bills QB J.P. Losman to let him know he did not intend to injure him in Sunday's game.
Wilfork and Losman have yet to connect. Wilfork, who has yet to hear from the NFL regarding a potential fine, feels his reputation is taking an unfair hit.
"Let me make something clear," he said while sitting at his locker, surrounded by cameras. "A lot of people probably listened to what I said and took it the wrong way. The only reason I talked about a fine is that they have a rule for quarterbacks -- if you hit them below the waist you're subject to a fine. A lot of people probably think that Wilfork doesn't care, he's looking for the fine. That wasn't the fact. I got penalized for that, there are consequences behind that.
"Did I mean to do that? No, far from that. Like I just said, if you know me as a person and a player, it wouldn't be an issue because they know I have too much respect and love for this game, and for players, for me to be a dirty player.
"So if you don't know me, don't judge me. Point blank, that's what I want people to know. You have a lot of people out there saying 'that was a dirty hit.' If you don't know me, get to know me. Because if you know me, that wouldn't be a question. I'm not a dirty player."
Wilfork was asked if he felt center Melvin Fowler was riding him on the hit on Losman, which came on the game's first play and knocked Losman out of the contest after three plays (knee strain).
"I have one guy tripping me up, and I have one guy hitting my left leg," Wilfork said. "Of course, that's the only reason I was falling. I'm mad at the reason, because he's hurt. That's a quarterback. That's what I regret. Him being a quarterback and getting hurt wasn't intentional."
Wilfork said he has some friends on the Bills and has reached out to Losman through them.
"I've tried to talk to him, as a person, to let him know how I feel about the whole situation. We have people blowing this thing out of proportion, saying how dirty I am. All these years I've been playing football, never once have I been labeled a dirty player. All of a sudden, I'm a dirty player. ...
"When I leave this earth, I'm going to leave with one thing, and that's my name. Don't bash my name because of one incident. As long as he understands that wasn't intentional, and that organization [understands], I'm fine."
Wilfork was asked to clear up how he landed on Losman, with his right elbow flexed as he was falling. The elbow made contact with Losman's knee.
"I have a million and one things going on in my mind," he said. "You're tripping, a 300-and-something pound [lineman] tripping, I have no idea what's going on. I don't know where my arm is at. Like I said, it wasn't intentional."