(Photo: The Sporting News)
Kickers are football players too, and many times a game comes down to the foot of a kicker putting the ball through the uprights to seal the deal. When I think of those New England Patriots teams in the 2000s, of course everything was put together by the greatest coach in NFL history, Bill Belichick. But he also had guys on the team who simply knew their roles and did their jobs. Those teams always had a strong defense, and offensively they featured a solid running game. All they needed Tom Brady to do back then was manage the game before he became who we know him as today. I’ve always said Belichick’s philosophy was simple: win with defense, ball control, and special teams — and the special teams aspect was handled by Adam Vinatieri. Ty Law and Richard Seymour are both members of the Hall of Fame, and now the legendary kicker will become just the second placekicker to enter Canton as a Hall of Famer.
Adam is one of the greatest kickers I’ve ever seen play this game. What made him great was his drive and confidence in himself. He was never the biggest guy and didn’t necessarily have the biggest or strongest leg, but when you needed him to deliver — whether to put you ahead or win the game — he did. That’s all you can ask for. His technique was fundamentally sound, with a compact and repeatable kicking motion. Adam’s ability to thrive under pressure will forever stand out because his mechanics never changed when the moment got too big. Instead, he welcomed those moments and treated them as if they were always his. And how about the mental consistency? Even if he missed a kick (which was rare), he never let it snowball into a slump. He stayed the course and focused on what went right, not what went wrong. All he needed was for the offense to move the ball into his range, and he would handle the rest. It was that simple.
He’s by far the most clutch kicker I’ve ever seen, and Adam is the guy I’d want with the game on the line — especially in the playoffs. He played 24 seasons in the NFL, spending the first 10 years of his career with the New England Patriots, where he won three Super Bowls. In 2006, Adam signed with the Indianapolis Colts and spent the final 14 years of his career in Indianapolis, winning another Super Bowl there. Yes, he played with both Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. He retired as the NFL’s all-time leader in points with 2,673 and field goals made with 599 — both league records. What a career, and one that will be celebrated in Canton on August 8th.
