Derek Wolfe Hungry For NFL Action

Picture Freddy Krueger dressed in orange and blue. That’s what the Denver Broncos got when they drafted Derek Wolfe with their first pick in the 2012 NFL draft.

“I’m never gonna stop coming,” Wolfe said. “I’m like Freddy Krueger. You might kill me once, but I’m coming right back.”

Wolfe is a nose-to-the-grindstone workhorse. He’s slated to become that defensive tackle that the Broncos have been waiting for. The last time the team drafted a defensive tackle with their first pick was in 1997 when the selected Trevor Pryce.

Wolfe comes to Denver from Cincinnati where he excelled as the team’s top defensive player. He had 21.5 tackles for a loss and 9.5 sacks last season.

“If you’re gonna play defense, you’ve got to be nasty,” Wolfe said. “You take all that anger, use it to train and get yourself going, and then right before the game, you just think about everything that you’ve done. Look at where I’ve come from. Then build your confidence up. ‘I can’t be blocked. Nobody’s going to block me.’ That’s what I run through my head.”

Wolfe isn’t afraid to take on double teams or even triple teams. He once took on a triple team in the fourth quarter of a game against Pittsburgh and forced an intentional grounding. That is going to spell trouble for teams who already have to contend with Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller rushing the quarterback.

“Really kind of a hard-charging guy,” Jack Del Rio said as he described Wolfe. “Effort-filled. He’s got some pass rush ability inside. I think he’ll grow into a real strong player for the Broncos for many years.”

Wolfe appears to have the right ingredients entering the pros. He’s a hard working talented player who is passionate about the sport, and most of all, he’s humble.

“Nothing is given to you in this world,” Wolfe said. “I can tell you that better than almost anybody can. I’m not going to come in here and think I deserve anything cause I don’t deserve nothing. I’ve got to come in and earn it just like anybody else.”

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