Image courtesy of New England Patriots
SANTA CLARA, CA – Another Patriot from the dynasty years – the most important player other than Tom Brady – will now live in Canton forever.
During NFL Honors on Thursday night, Adam Vinatieri was named a Pro Football Hall of Fame, along with former BC linebacker Luke Keuchly, Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald and Roger Craig.
Vinatieri’s induction added to a memorable night in what’s been an unforgettable season for the Pats’ organization. Mike Vrabel also won NFL Coach of the Year and Josh McDaniels was named Assistant Coach of the Year. The only thing missing so far this weekend has been Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft also getting into the Hall of Fame.
Before the awards were announced, Mike Vrabel spoke about Vinatieri during his final press conference on Thursday morning.
“Well, you always knew that when he kicked, they were going to go in,” he said. “I think that was just kind of what we always thought and knew if we got into those types of situations. The kick in the snow, that’s probably the greatest feat – one of the greatest feats I’ve ever seen on a football field. You could barely run, let alone approach and kick a football that length. So, obviously we talked about everybody means a lot to the team.
“During those years that I was here, Adam was certainly one of those players that meant a lot to the football team and to our success.”
Over the span of his 24-year career – which should have all been in New England – Vinatieri made 599 of the 715 field goals he attempted and accounted for 2,673 points, which leads the NFL all-time.
Vinatieri has often said that he didn’t just want to be known as a kicker, but as a football player who cared deeply about winning and cared deeply about his teammates.
One of the best parts about this Patriots run has been seeing Vinatieri come back into the fold, celebrating the organization he meant to much to. It’s been long overdue.
Now, he won’t just be remembered ‘as a kicker,’ but as a Pro Football Hall of Famer and the best to ever do it.