Gaining Weight Pays Off For Defensive Tackle Kevin Vickerson
DENVER (CBS4) - When Jack Del Rio came to the Denver Broncos to be the defensive coordinator in the offseason, one of his orders of business was to get defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson to bulk up, and Vickerson didn't disappoint.
A year ago Vickerson weighed in at 285 pounds. This year he's a robust 327 pounds and clogging up the line of scrimmage. But that didn't mean he was just eating everything in sight.
"For the most part I try to stick to a strict diet and stick to a routine and just make my body flourish in the right way," Vickerson said on Xfinity Monday Live!
The Broncos are coming off their second blowout win -- this time against Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. But unlike the San Diego Chargers game where the Broncos had to come from behind and dominate in the second half, the Broncos got off to a quick start and didn't look back.
Vickerson said it was all about laying out a good plan.
"They're a passing team, they're a good passing team," he said. "We had a good day against them. Not to take away from them … they've got a good offense, but I think the attitude and the way we play on defense; the way the offense is getting the ball back … we can do some good things if we click like that."
The defense had a great level of intensity in the game and it seemed to start and end with linebacker Wesley Woodyard, who had 13 tackles, a sack, forced a fumble, and an interception.
"He played with a lot of emotion," Vickerson said. "Wesley is a good player and he's always to the ball, he's on me every day just messing with me and saying little jokes. We push each other to get better."
The Broncos held the Saints' running game to only 50 yards, which is a testament to Vickerson's role on the defensive line.
"I just try to be dominant in the middle, make my presence be felt some kind of way," he said. "Whatever they ask me to do; I'm just trying to be that player that is willing to do whatever it takes to win the game."
After the touchdown pass from Peyton Manning to Demaryius Thomas in the corner of the end zone, Thomas was about ready to perform a premeditated celebration with Eric Decker where Decker would pass the ball for an alley-oop over the crossbar. But Brandon Stokley came by and broke up the attempt because the Broncos could have been penalized and possibly fined.
"I'm like the dad, you know, they didn't tell their dad what they were doing, so I was a little disappointed," Stokley said, laughing. "I couldn't let them do that. I knew we were going to get 15 yards and they probably would have got fined, so they probably owe me some money."
"He looked out for us, he didn't want us to get fined," Thomas said.
Vickerson explained the reason they would be fined is because the NFL doesn't allow more than one player involved in a celebration.
Vickerson said he plans to dress up as rapper Suge Knight for Halloween, but after the fun it's back to business as the Broncos travel to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals this Sunday. Kickoff is at 11 a.m. on CBS4.
- By Matthew J. Buettner, CBSDenver.com
Watch more of the video with Kevin Vickerson in the Xfinity Monday Live! section.
