There was a New England Patriots legend inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year. Kicker Adam Vinatieri, who had multiple game-winning kicks in the Super Bowl for New England, earned the honor.
One Patriots legend who, surprisingly, got snubbed was head coach Bill Belichick. He wouldn’t attend at all as a result, but Vinatieri made sure to bring him up and roast his former head coach.
“I would repeat those last few statements about Coach Bill Belichick as well,” Vinatieri said. “Thank you for demanding excellence every single day. Your preparation, discipline, and attention to detail shaped far more than my football career. Unfortunately, Bill couldn’t make it here today. There’s a lot going on at UNC right now.”
Belichick is, of course, entering his second season at North Carolina. His first year was a bit of a disaster, going 4-8 with plenty of off-field distractions. Now, going into his second season, his GM, Michael Lombardi, has been put on administrative leave due to an internal investigation. Meanwhile, his son and defensive coordinator, Steve Belichick, is on medical leave.
Of course, Vinatieri would call out Belichick’s girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, in particular. In the process, he earned a long round of laughter.
“He may be on a recruiting trip right now looking for the next Lawrence Taylor,” Vinatieri said. “I thought it was because training camp had already started, but in truth, it’s because he’s judging his girlfriend’s cheerleading competition.”
Once the laughter died down, Vinatieri did take a second to praise Belichick, calling the Patriots coach the greatest of all time.
“All jokes aside,” Vinatieri added. “In my opinion, Bill is the greatest coach of all time.”
New England Patriots Kicker Adam Vinatieri Had Jokes During His Speech
GettyAdam Vinatieri giving his Hall of Fame speech
While Bill Belichick may have been the biggest New England Patriots name that Adam Vinatieri targeted, he joked about his former teammates and coaches throughout the speech. That included going after Peyton Manning from his time with the Indianapolis Colts.
“And Peyton, thank you for generously donating your forehead for today’s teleprompter,” Vinatieri said. “A gigantic forehead means big brain and your football IQ is unmatched.”
However, perhaps his most memorable joke came at the expense of Pat McAfee. Now a media personality, McAfee was the punter and holder in Indianapolis, and Vinatieri wanted to make sure everyone knew who held for who.
“Hey, Pat McAfee is in the crowd here today. Good to see you, brother,” Vinatieri said. “The only person who enjoyed holding my balls more than my wife.”
Adam Vinatieri Changed the Course of Patriots History
GettyAdam Vinatieri playing in the Super Bowl with the New England Patriots
Coming out of South Dakota State, Adam Vinatieri took a long route to the NFL. He wouldn’t be drafted, instead going to play in Europe for the Amsterdam Admirals. Then, in 1996, he was able to sign with the Patriots and win the job. He didn’t look back.
In the late 1990s, Vinatieri grew into one of the best kickers in the NFL. However, it wouldn’t be until the 2001 season when he began to truly turn himself into a legend.
During a blizzard in the divisional round of the playoffs, he tied the game against the Oakland Raiders on a 45-yard kick. Then, in overtime, he hit a 23-yarder to win it. Later, in the Super Bowl, he hit a game-winning 48-yard kick as time expired to beat the St. Louis Rams. A couple of years later, he hit another game-winning kick in the Super Bowl. That one was from 41 yards and at the expense of the Carolina Panthers. In the process, he became the most clutch kicker the NFL had seen and helped win two Super Bowls for the Patriots.
Vinatieri and the Patriots won another Super Bowl in 2004, before he left for the Indianapolis Colts ahead of the 2006 season. He’d win another Super Bowl there, playing out his career.
When he retired, Vinatieri had the NFL record for career points at 2,673 and field goals at 599. Notably, only Morten Anderson and George Blanda had longer NFL careers than Vinatieri, who played in 24 seasons.
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