New England Patriots
Vinatieri is one of five players elected in this year’s Hall of Fame Class.
SAN FRANCISCO — Adam Vinatieri has officially kicked his way into a spot in Canton. During the NFL Honors ceremony on Thursday, the league announced that Vinatieri has been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Vinatieri is the NFL’s all-time scoring leader, with 2,673 points and the record-holder for made field-goals (599). He’s a four-time Super Bowl champion. Three of those rings came during his decade-long stint with the Patriots.
He won the other during a later 14-year stint with the Colts. He played 24 seasons in total and nailed a number of memorable kicks along the way.
“You always knew that when he kicked, they were going to go in,” Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said. “I think that was just kind of what we always thought and knew if we got into those types of situations.”
His kick in the snow during the final game at Foxboro stadium in the 2001 Divisional Round against the Raiders is unparalleled, Vrabel said.
“The kick in the snow, that’s probably the greatest feat — one of the greatest feats I’ve ever seen on a football field,” Vrabel said. “You could barely run, let alone approach and kick a football that length.”
Vinatieri also made a pair of game-winning Super Bowl kicks in 2001 and 2003. He was a three-time first-team All-Pro selection. He made 83.8 percent of his career field-goal attempts.
This was Vinatieri’s second year eligible for enshrinement. He is the third kicker in the Po Football Hall of Fame, with Morten Andersen and Jan Stenerud preceding him.
The other inductees were Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly, Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald, Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and 49ers running back Roger Craig.
There were no coaches or contributors elected this year. Former Patriots coach Bill Belichick and team owner Robert Kraft were both on the ballot up against Craig. Kraft and Belichick both fell short of the 40 out of 50 vote threshold needed for election.
Vinatieri played until age 47, when he retired from the Colts in 2021. Now, at age 53, he has earned his spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Get the latest Boston sports news
Receive updates on your favorite Boston teams, straight from our newsroom to your inbox.
