Corey Dillon Gave Patriots Legend His 'Welcome to the NFL' Moment

CINCINNATI — For rookie players, entering the NFL is a dream come true. But that does not come without it's humble beginnings. While many talented first-year players make their presence known in the NFL sooner rather than later, their infamous "Welcome to the NFL" moment gets them adjusted to the pro level quickly. Where a veteran in the league either lays a huge hit on the huge player, or promptly shows the young up-and-comer how experience in the pro league means more with a big play.

The former is true for Patriots legend Vince Wilfork, who appeared on Julian Edelmans Games with Names Podcast. He said his "Welcome to the NFL" moment came during a training camp practice in his rookie year against former Bengals running back Corey Dillon.

The Patriots acquired Dillon and Wilfork in the same offseason. They traded for Dillon and selected Wilfork in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft.

"Well I'll tell you what my 'Welcome to the NFL' came in practice in Training Camp. Corey Dillon. It was just a regular little zone play, I got through and I hit him, but he was coming with so much force, I was dizzy. I went back to the huddle and I'm shaking my head, I'm, like "man what the hell just happened?" "Now the play is still like we're in the huddle, and I'm sitting here and I'm trying to shake it off. I'm like "mand I'm dizzy, my eyes crossed, I'm seeing the stars man." Vilfork said. "Mind you the offense is breaking the huddle to get back at the line of scrimmage, so I'm like 'man let me buckle up,' and I got back in, but it's like right when I put my hand back down and the play happened, I snapped out of it."

Dillon still holds Bengals franchise records for the most rushing yards in a career with 8,061, most rushing yards per game in a career with 75.3, and the most rushing yards (278) and rushing touchdowns in a game (4, tied with Joe Mixon).

Dillon was officially inducted into the Bengals Ring Of Honor on September 23, 2024 during a Monday Night Football game against the Washington Commanders.

Watch the clip below:

Corey Dillon gave Vince Wilfork his Welcome to the NFL Moment 👀🏈 pic.twitter.com/z7zHXnCec8
— Games with Names (@gameswithnames) August 31, 2025

For more on the Bengals, subscribe to our YouTube Channel and be sure to check us out on your favorite audio platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon.

Make sure you bookmark BengalsTalk.com for the latest Bengals news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!