BY NICK ST. DENIS
Muhammad Wilkerson is really good. He wants to be even better.
The New York Jets defensive lineman, while one of the best players at his position in all of the NFL, has looked to another sport to better a certain part of his game.
"This is my first time doing it. I've been boxing just a little bit," he said this week, via NewYorkJets.com. ". . . I go every now and then when I can."
Wilkerson has increased his tackle total in each of his first three seasons. 17.5 of his 39 combined sacks and tackles for losses came last season, and he hopes that bettering his hands will result in more action in the opposing offensive backfield.
"I'm doing it just for endurance and I'm working on my hands," he said. "I want to work on my hand speed and hand-to-hand combat, something I'm doing in the trenches all the time."
The fourth-year former first-round pick was entering the final year of his rookie contract before the Jets picked up his fifth-year option last month, giving them some more room to work out a new deal. He's not a player they're looking to lose anytime soon.
