58 Facts About Adam Vinatieri

1.

Adam Vinatieri holds the NFL records for field goals made, postseason points, and overtime field goals made.

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2.

Adam Vinatieri is the only player to score 1,000 points for two different franchises.

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3.

In 2019, Adam Vinatieri was named to the National Football League 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.

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4.

Adam Vinatieri's great-great-grandfather was Italian, and his other ancestry includes German and English.

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5.

Adam Vinatieri's younger brother Beau was a placekicker at Black Hills State University before graduating in 2003.

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6.

Adam Vinatieri attended Central High School in Rapid City and was a letterman in football, wrestling, basketball, soccer, and track.

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7.

Adam Vinatieri first enrolled at the United States Military Academy at West Point, but was only there for two weeks before deciding to return home, where he then enrolled at South Dakota State University.

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8.

Adam Vinatieri was a four-year letterman there as a placekicker and punter and he finished his collegiate career as SDSU's all-time leading scorer with 185 career points as well as being awarded first-team all-conference honors in each of his seasons.

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9.

Adam Vinatieri spent the summer of 1996 training to compete professionally.

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10.

Adam Vinatieri received a tryout for the World League of American Football, and earned a roster position with the Amsterdam Admirals as a placekicker and punter.

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11.

In 1996, Adam Vinatieri was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent to be a placekicker.

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12.

Adam Vinatieri played in New England for the first 10 years of his NFL career, during which he played in four Super Bowls, winning three titles.

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13.

Adam Vinatieri was a spokesperson for the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island's teen anti-smoking contest, and appeared in commercials for Boston-based pizza Papa Gino's.

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14.

Adam Vinatieri finished his 10 seasons with the Patriots as the team's all-time leading scorer with 1,156 points.

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15.

Adam Vinatieri had met with the Green Bay Packers, but was set on signing in either a warm-weather climate or a team that played home games in a dome.

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16.

On March 22,2006, Adam Vinatieri signed with the Indianapolis Colts, replacing Mike Vanderjagt, who signed with the Dallas Cowboys.

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17.

Adam Vinatieri was signed to a five-year contract and received a $3.

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18.

Adam Vinatieri missed a 36-yard kick wide left at the end of the first half—the third time he had missed a kick in the Super Bowl.

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19.

Adam Vinatieri is the only player to have 3 or more field goals in 4 consecutive postseason games.

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20.

Adam Vinatieri kicked his 20th career game-winning FG in the final minute of a 4th quarter or in overtime, this time with three seconds remaining against the Kansas City Chiefs on November 18,2007.

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21.

In July 2009, Adam Vinatieri had surgery on his right hip to alleviate a nagging injury, but the Colts expected that he would be ready for the season.

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22.

Also, Adam Vinatieri was placed on the injured reserve list for the rest of the season.

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23.

However, Adam Vinatieri struggled early in the season and complained of soreness in his knee.

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24.

Doctors found loose cartilage in an MRI, and Adam Vinatieri underwent arthroscopic surgery during the Colts' bye week.

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25.

Adam Vinatieri was expected to miss four to eight weeks while recovering.

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26.

Adam Vinatieri returned to the lineup and kicked a field goal but missed an extra point attempt in a Week 15 loss to the New York Jets, but then was inactive for the final game of the regular season as well as throughout the Colts' postseason run.

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27.

Adam Vinatieri did not play in Super Bowl XLIV, which the Colts lost to the New Orleans Saints.

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28.

Adam Vinatieri was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for the second time after the game.

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29.

On January 11,2014, against the Patriots in the Divisional Playoff round, Adam Vinatieri became the first player in NFL history to convert 50 field goals in the postseason.

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30.

On January 2,2015, Adam Vinatieri was selected by the Associated Press as the First-team All-Pro kicker, his third such selection.

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31.

On May 6, Adam Vinatieri was ranked on the NFL Network's NFL Top 100 Players of 2015 list as the 98th best player heading into the 2015 season, becoming the first specialist ever to be ranked in the top 100, as well as the oldest player to be ranked.

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32.

In Week 4 of the 2015 season, Adam Vinatieri became the Colts' all-time leading scorer and the first player in NFL history to score 1,000 points with two teams.

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33.

In Week 11, Adam Vinatieri converted three extra points and a game-winning field goal to give the Colts a come-from-behind win in Adam Vinatieri's 300th NFL game.

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34.

On March 8,2016, Adam Vinatieri signed a two-year, $6 million extension with the Colts.

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35.

On September 10,2017, Adam Vinatieri started his 22nd season in the NFL in a game against the Los Angeles Rams.

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36.

On February 22, Adam Vinatieri signed a one-year contract extension with the Colts through the 2018 season.

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37.

In Week 2, Adam Vinatieri hit three extra-point attempts to score 2,501 points in his career and became only the second player in NFL history to score over 2,500 points; he moved into fourth place all-time in extra-point attempts with 828.

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38.

In Week 3, Adam Vinatieri connected on an extra point and 3-of-3 field goals, allowing him to tie the NFL record of 565 field goals made by Morten Andersen.

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39.

In Week 4, Adam Vinatieri hit 4-of-4 extra points and 2-of-2 field goals in a losing effort to the Houston Texans to make him the all-time leader in field goals made.

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40.

Adam Vinatieri surpassed George Blanda, moving him into fourth place all-time in career games played with 341.

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41.

On October 4,2018, Adam Vinatieri kicked a 54-yard field goal to break his own record of the oldest player to hit a 50+ yard field goal.

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42.

Adam Vinatieri surpassed Gary Anderson, moving him into second place all-time in field goal attempts with 674.

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43.

In Week 6, Adam Vinatieri scored 10 points, hitting 2-for-2 in field goals and 4-for-4 in extra points, surpassing Anderson and moving into third place all-time in extra-point attempts.

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44.

In Week 8, against the Oakland Raiders, Adam Vinatieri scored 10 points and became the all-time NFL leader in points scored with 2,550.

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45.

In Week 14, in a win over the Texans, Adam Vinatieri made 3-for-3 extra points to move into second place all-time with 860 and he connected on a 54-yard field goal to break his own record of oldest player to connect on a 50+ yard field goal.

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46.

Adam Vinatieri became the fourth player in NFL history to play in 350 games.

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47.

In Week 17, at age 46, Adam Vinatieri broke his own record with a 53-yard field goal to become the oldest player to kick a 50+ yard field goal and moved into second place for most extra point attempts with 852.

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48.

On September 8,2019, Adam Vinatieri started his 24th season in the NFL in a game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

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49.

In week 3 against the Atlanta Falcons, Adam Vinatieri rebounded and went a perfect 3 for 3 on extra points and a perfect 2 for 2 on field goals, including a 49 yarder which hit the lower crossbar and barely went over.

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50.

In week 5, Adam Vinatieri made all four field-goal attempts and an extra point in a win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

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51.

Adam Vinatieri was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance despite having missed a field goal and an extra point within the game.

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52.

On December 9,2019, the Colts placed Adam Vinatieri on injured reserve after he underwent season-ending knee surgery.

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53.

On May 26,2021, Adam Vinatieri announced his retirement from the NFL after 24 seasons on former Colts teammate and punter Pat McAfee's podcast, The Pat McAfee Show.

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54.

Adam Vinatieri retired as the NFL's all-time leading scorer, as well as the last active player to have played in the 1990s, and the last to play before Tom Brady.

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55.

Adam Vinatieri grew up in the Black Hills of western South Dakota.

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56.

Adam Vinatieri stated that Lt Col Custer told Felix Adam Vinatieri to head back to camp instead of going ahead with the regiment to Little Big Horn, and that this decision saved his great-great grandfather's life.

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57.

Adam Vinatieri is a third cousin to the daredevil Evel Knievel and second cousin to scientist and author Tim Foecke.

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58.

Adam Vinatieri took an interest in motor racing, and co-owns Miller Adam Vinatieri Motorsports with former racing driver Dr Jack Miller, which competes in multiple series in the Road to Indy.

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