Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork is a regular guy and someone who knows the damage diabetes can cause. His upcoming fundraiser will help combat the disease.

The Providence Journal / Glenn Osmundson

FOXBORO — With his portly frame, Vince Wilfork is more Everyman than Adonis, and his ample belly coupled with his wide smile are probably part of the reason why he has been so embraced by New England Patriots fans.

His Pro Bowl-caliber play at nose tackle probably doesn’t hurt, either.

Wilfork wants to make it clear, however, that while he may be a professional football player, he really is just a regular guy. He’s a doting dad who gardens and proudly grows his own herbs, has endured more than his share of difficulties, and worries about how his life will be after retirement.

But given his job title, Wilfork’s concerns aren’t centered on whether he’ll have enough money in his 401(k); they’re even more personal than that.

On Saturday, April 26, as Patriots’ brass watch the opening picks of the NFL Draft unfold and eagerly await their turn to choose a top college player, Wilfork will be at Pinz bowling alley in Milford, Mass., for his annual draft party. The event serves as a fundraiser for the Diabetes Research Institute.

Wilfork’s father, David, died of kidney failure due to the effects of diabetes when Wilfork was a student at the University of Miami (his mother died less than seven months later, after suffering a stroke); having that family history makes Wilfork keenly aware of what the disease can do.

“I saw my father suffer for 12 years,” he said Wednesday after an off-season workout at Gillette Stadium. “Every year, it went from losing eyesight to hearing to limbs to toes, to every month losing something. It was basically just seeing my father die slowly.”

To that end, Wilfork, who tips the scales at about 325 pounds, has revamped his diet with the help of his wife, Bianca. Though he was tempted to grab some cake after his interviews this week — in honor of Bill Belichick’s birthday — he knew it wasn’t the best option.

“Life after football — that’s my biggest key. While I’m playing football, it’s easy to come shed pounds, get stronger and be well-conditioned,” said Wilfork, who claims to have lost 10 pounds since beginning New England’s off-season program. “But when I stop playing football, I don’t know what my weight’s going to do. I’m trying to train my body now so that whenever I do decide to retire, it’s not a struggle for me and it’s a natural habit I have, losing weight.

“I’m going to have to give this game up. I hate to say it, but that’s the truth. When it happens, I have to be prepared for whatever’s in store for me, knowing my family history of high blood pressure, diabetes and all that good stuff. I’m trying to create better habits for me — and my family.”

So while Wilfork makes changes for himself, he is also giving back to others who suffer from the disease. He has held the draft-day event every year he’s been with New England, and it has grown each year. Last April, Wilfork said, the event — which also features a memorabilia auction — raised nearly $50,000 for DRI. This year, they will exceed that amount.

The 26-year-old also likes giving fans the chance to see him and some of his teammates with their friends and families and see that they’re pretty regular guys.

Wilfork did talk about the Super Bowl, and said he has not rewatched any part of New England’s loss to the Giants, nor does he feel the need to do so. He knows he’ll see plays at some point in the Pats’ video room come training camp. He gave credit to quarterback Eli Manning and receiver David Tyree for pulling off the improbable play that led to New York’s win, calling it “a great catch and a great throw.”

But Wilfork, like Belichick and his other teammates, has turned the page.

“We did a couple of good things last year, but you play this game for one thing and one thing only, and that’s the Super Bowl, which we lost,” he said. “Eighteen-and-O really doesn’t mean anything to me; Eighteen-and-O doesn’t put a ring on my finger. Whatever it takes to get back to that level of play for me to help my ball club, that’s what I’m going to do.”

For more information or to purchase tickets for Wilfork’s event, go to www.pinzbowl.com; Wilfork’s Web site is www.vincewilfork75.com.

smanza@projo.com