Mike Vrabel Shares Ultimate Adam Vinatieri Story Before Hall Of Fame Induction image
Jun 2, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel holds a press conference before the start of practices at the team's OTA at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Mike Vrabel witnessed Adam Vinatieri make plenty of unforgettable kicks during their five seasons together with the New England Patriots. One still stands above almost everything Vrabel has ever seen on a football field.
Vinatieri will officially enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday in Canton, Ohio. Ahead of the induction ceremony, the Patriots shared a video of Vrabel reflecting on his former teammate and the moments that made Vinatieri the most accomplished kicker in NFL history.
Vrabel did not begin with either of Vinatieri’s Super Bowl-winning field goals. His mind immediately returned to a snowy night in Foxborough.
“The kick in the snow, that’s probably the greatest feat, one of the greatest feats I’ve ever seen on a football field,” Vrabel said. “We could barely run, let alone approach and kick a field goal of that length.”
Mike Vrabel Remembers Legendary Snow Kick
Vrabel was referring to New England’s divisional-round victory over the Oakland Raiders on Jan. 19, 2002. With snow covering the field and the Patriots trailing 13-10, Vinatieri made a 45-yard field goal with 27 seconds remaining to force overtime. The conditions made the kick appear almost impossible.
Vinatieri later won the game with a 23-yard field goal in overtime. The victory kept New England’s season alive and became one of the defining moments of the franchise’s first championship run. Two weeks later, Vinatieri made a 48-yard field goal as time expired to defeat the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.
Vrabel was on the field for both kicks.
“You always knew that when he kicked, they were going to go in,” Vrabel said of Vinatieri. “That was just what we thought and knew if we got into those situations.”
That level of confidence is rare for any NFL player. For a kicker operating in the highest-pressure moments of the postseason, it explains why Vinatieri became so valuable to the Patriots.
Vrabel And Vinatieri Helped Launch Patriots Dynasty
Vrabel arrived in New England before the 2001 season, five years after Vinatieri joined the Patriots as an undrafted free agent. They remained teammates through the 2005 season and won three Super Bowl championships together.
Vinatieri delivered another game-winning kick in Super Bowl XXXVIII, converting from 41 yards with four seconds remaining to give the Patriots a 32-29 victory over the Carolina Panthers.
Vrabel produced his own memorable Super Bowl moments. The linebacker caught touchdown passes in victories over Carolina and the Philadelphia Eagles while remaining one of the leaders of New England’s defense.
Their roles could not have been more different, but both players embodied the dependability that defined the first stage of the Patriots dynasty.
“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,” Vrabel said.
Adam Vinatieri Earns His Place In Canton
Vinatieri left New England for the Indianapolis Colts in 2006 and immediately helped his new team win Super Bowl XLI. He played 24 NFL seasons before retiring in 2021. Vinatieri finished as the league’s career leader in points with 2,673 and made field goals with 599. He also became the only player to score at least 1,000 points for two franchises.
Vinatieri will enter Canton alongside Drew Brees, Roger Craig, Larry Fitzgerald and Luke Kuechly as part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2026 class.
He will become only the third full-time kicker inducted, joining Jan Stenerud and Morten Andersen. The statistics made Vinatieri’s Hall of Fame case undeniable. His former teammates remember something even more significant.
When the Patriots needed a kick to save their season or win a championship, they never expected Vinatieri to miss. Vrabel saw that belief rewarded repeatedly. More than two decades later, the kick through the Foxborough snow remains difficult for him to comprehend.
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