K

Adam Vinatieri

Class of 2026

A standout punter and kicker at South Dakota State, Adam Vinatieri graduated as the football team’s all-time leading scorer. Nothing he accomplished in college, however, foreshadowed the success and longevity he would enjoy in the National Football League.

Signed by New England in 1996 as an undrafted free agent, Vinatieri played his first 10 professional seasons with the Patriots. With the team, he set nearly every meaningful regular-season and postseason kicking record. Among the many: career points (1,158), consecutive games with a field goal (25) and longest field goal (57 yards in 2002).

As a free agent in 2006, Vinatieri signed a five-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts. He would play 14 seasons with the club, again establishing most of a franchise’s kicking records, including 44 consecutive field goals made (also an NFL mark), 1,515 career points and 37 field goals made from 50 yards or beyond.

His extensive list of overall NFL records includes 2,673 career points, 599 field goals made in 715 attempts and 21 seasons with 100+ points.

Vinatieri was selected as an AP first-team All-Pro three times and named to three Pro Bowl teams. He is a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 2000s and one of two kickers on the NFL 100 All-Time Team along with Pro Football Hall of Famer Jan Stenerud.

He won four Super Bowl rings (three with New England and one with Indianapolis) and earned a reputation for delivering in the clutch. His 238 postseason points set an NFL record, as did his 12 overtime field goals.

Vinatieri kicks lifted the Patriots to three-point victories in Super Bowl XXXVI against the St. Louis Rams and Super Bowl XXXVIII against the Carolina Panthers.
 

  Kicking
Year Team G XP XPA FG FGA Pct Lg. Pts.
1996 New England 16 39 42 27 35 77.1 50 120
1997 New England 16 40 40 25 29 86.2 52 115
1998 New England 16 32 32 31 39 81.8 53 106
1999 New England 16 29 30 26 33 78.8 51 107
2000 New England 16 25 25 27 33 81.8 53 106
2001 New England 16 41 42 24 30 80 54 113
2002 New England 16 36 36 27 30 90 57 117
2003 New England 16 37 38 25 34 73.5 48 112
2004 New England 16 48 48 31 33 93.9 48 141
2005 New England 16 40 41 20 25 80 49 100
2006 Indianapolis 13 38 38 25 28 89.3 48 113
2007 Indianapolis 16 49 51 23 29 79.3 39 118
2008 Indianapolis 16 43 43 20 25 80 52 103
2009 Indianapolis 6 17 18 7 9 77.8 48 38
2010 Indianapolis 16 51 51 26 28 92.9 48 129
2011 Indianapolis 16 24 24 23 27 85.2 53 93
2012 Indianapolis 16 37 37 26 33 78.8 53 115
2013 Indianapolis 15 34 34 35 40 87.5 52 139
2014 Indianapolis 16 50 50 30 31 96.8 53 140
2015 Indianapolis 16 32 35 25 27 92.6 55 107
2016 Indianapolis 16 44 44 27 31 87.1 54 125
2017 Indianapolis 15 22 24 29 34 85.3 54 109
2018 Indianapolis 16 44 47 23 27 85.2 54 113
2019 Indianapolis 12 22 28 17 25 68 49 73
Career total 365 874 898 599 715 83.8 57 2,673