June 3 (UPI) -- Football fans got to read a page from Bill Belichick's playbook Friday when Vince Wilfork revealed that the coach motivated him with food.
Wilfork appeared on Barstool Sports' Pardon My Take podcast. While on the show, the former Patriots defensive tackle talked about deals he would make with the future Hall of Fame coach.
"We used to do this thing every Friday," Wilfork said. "Friday would be our cool-down day, a light practice, and we would always kick the ball off. We'd all cover the kick, like a kickoff team, and every day I would go to Bill and say 'I'm going to make the tackle."
"He's like, 'Oh, you're not going to make the tackle.' So every day we would bet some type of food or something -- push-ups, anything. We would bet something if I would make the tackle or not. That tradition carried on throughout. They probably still do it now."
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Wilfork is currently teaming up with Kingsford in an effort to make ribs the national food in America. The duo filed a government petition for the designation in May on We The People. To earn a response from the Administration, the petition needs 100,000 signatures in 30 days.
The petition currently has 2,735 signatures and needs more than 97,000 more signings by June 15.
"I'm passionate about football, family and food, and when it comes to barbecue, my go to has always been ribs," Wilfork said in a press release. "I like to spend the whole day around the grill, slow cooking my meat to perfection while enjoying time with family and friends – whether tossing a football or having a one-man dance party."
Wilfork, 35, played 11 seasons for the Patriots, winning two Super Bowls. The 2012 All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowl selection is listed at 6-foot, 2-inches and 325 pounds.
Wilfork has played his last two seasons with the Houston Texans. He is now a free agent, but told SiriusXM NFL Radio in May that he is "not retired."
