Adam Vinatieri is headed to the NFL Hall of Fame, and rightfully so. He is arguably, although it’s an easy argument to win, the best kicker to have ever played the game. He played 24 seasons, which is pretty much unheard of unless you are a kicker, and smashed record books. He played 10 years with the New England Patriots and 14 with the Indianapolis Colts. He doesn’t have to pick a team when he joins the Hall of Fame, but one can’t help but wonder for which team he will be most remembered.
Before everyone starts with the, “he will be remembered for both” statements, the question regards the word “more”. If one closes their eyes and pictures Vinatieri, what jersey is he wearing? For fans of either team, the answer is easy, but it becomes more complex after that. A fan of any of the other 30 teams might picture Vinatieri in the jersey for which he broke their heart. For many others it will be the time spent and memories made.
He spent four more seasons with the Colts, appeared in two Super Bowls, and broke essentially every record he has with the horseshoe on his helmet. From game winners to carrying the team through the divisional round against the Ravens as Tony Dungy mouthed “money”, there is no shortage of big moments.
The Patriots have more than their fair share of classic Vinatieri moments too. From his “snow kick” against the Raiders to two game winning kicks to clinch Super Bowls for the Patriots. The biggest moments happen on the biggest stages. It doesn’t get much bigger than that.
After watching Adam Vinatieri adorn the Colts’ logo for 14 years and seeing him come up huge more times than not, there is no doubt in mind my how he will be remembered. As much as I hate to admit it, picturing him as a Patriot is completely justified. Without both teams and situations, Vinatieri might not be the greatest kicker of all time. Each franchise created stability and a long term solution. Vinatieri rewarded each team with game winning kicks, Super Bowls, and a Class A man who now finds himself in the NFL Hall of Fame.
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