Vince Wilfork (AP)

Patriots defensive lineman Vince Wilfork joined the Dale & Holley show Monday and talked about the Patriots’ preparation for Sunday’s season-opener vs. the Benglas. To hear the interview, visit the Dale & Holley audio on demand page.

Asked if he felt good about the defense heading into the season, Wilfork replied: “The season starts this week, whether you feel good or not. It is what it is. Every day, you try to get better and move forward. That’s where we’re at right now. We have a big game coming up with the Bengals. We’ll see on Sunday where we’re at. I mean, the season’s here. You can’t go back and re-do anything. We’re a week away, days away from opening up on a prime-time game against one of these up-and-coming great teams. That’s where we’re at right now. We have to put the work in now.”

While praising linebacker Jerod Mayo‘s leadership skills, Wilfork said a key for the Patriots is for everyone to stand up for themselves. “We look at everyone as leaders in this locker room,” he said. “Because to win, you have to have everybody owning up to things and being man enough to say they messed up. I think that’s something else that we’ve actually done this year. We don’t have just a couple of leaders. Just because you have a guy that goes out for the coin toss or that’s named a captain, it doesn’t mean everybody else is just a bunch of nobodies. I think we hold each other to a high level. We hold each other accountable.”

Asked if he would partake in any trash-talking with Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco, Wilfork said: “No, not at all. Even if you do, it’s all in fun. It’s nothing personal. We know each other personally. … Between these lines, we go to war. That’s how it is. I’m going to try to stay away from him, but who knows if I can or not. Because he might push the wrong button.”

Wilfork was named winner of the Ron Burton Award at last week’s Patriots Kickoff Gala and was emotional in his acceptance speech. “The first people I thought about was my family,” he explained, referring to his late parents. “My mother and father would have been very proud of me. I do things because of them. They taught me the right way to do things. They taught me how to be the person I am today. That’s the first reason why I got emotional.”