Biography

BIOGRAPHY

Adam Vinatieri was born December 28, 1972, in Yankton, South Dakota. He was a kicker in the NFL.

Considered one of the greatest kickers in league history, he is the NFL's all-time leading scorer at 2,673 points. He also holds the NFL records for field goals made (599), postseason points (238), and overtime field goals made (12).

Vinatieri joined the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 1996, where he played 10 seasons, and was a member of the Colts for 14 seasons. A four-time Super Bowl winner — three with the Patriots and one with the Colts — he has the most Super Bowl wins by a kicker. He is also the only player to score 1,000 points for two different franchises. Retiring in 2021 after a year in free agency, Vinatieri was the last active player whose career began in the 1990s.

Celebrated for his kicking accuracy and success under pressure, Vinatieri converted several of the most crucial field goals in NFL history. During the 2001–02 NFL playoffs, he completed the game-tying and winning kicks of New England's AFC Divisional Playoff game in blizzard conditions and the game-winning kick in the final seconds of Super Bowl XXXVI, earning the Patriots their first championship. He would again convert a final-second kick to win Super Bowl XXXVIII, establishing himself as a key contributor of the Patriots' sports dynasty. In 2019, Vinatieri was named to the National Football League 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.