INDIANAPOLIS COLTS WEEKLY PRESS RELEASE

named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance.
• Tallied six field goals on seven attempts and added six PATs for 24 postseason points.
• Was three-of-three in field goals while contributing with one PAT in a 16-13 overtime win against Oakland in the Divisional Playoffs
(1/19). Hit a 45-yard game-tying kick in the snow with 32 seconds remaining and hit the game-winning 23-yard field goal in overtime
for the victory.
• Contributed with one field goal and three PATs at Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship Game (1/27).
• Tallied the game-winning 48-yard field goal as time expired in a 20-17 victory vs. St. Louis in Super Bowl XXXVI (2/3). The kick
marked the first time the Super Bowl had been decided on the final play of the game.
2000 (PATRIOTS):
• Converted 27-of-33 field goals and split the uprights on all 25 PATs for 106 points.
• Was three-of-three in field goals, including the game-winning 22-yard kick with three seconds remaining in a 16-13 victory against
Cincinnati (11/19).
• Split the uprights on three-of-four field goals and three PATs for 12 points against Kansas City (12/4). Hit a 53-yard field goal, which
was the longest outdoor kick in his career.
• Hit the game-winning 24-yard field goal with 19 seconds remaining in overtime for a 13-10 victory at Buffalo (12/17).
1999 (PATRIOTS):
• Was 26-of-33 in field goals while adding 29-of-30 PATs for 107 points.
• Was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for September after converting seven-of-seven field goal attempts, all eight PAT
attempts and two game-winning field goals.
• Scored a seasonal-high 12 points (three-of-three field goals and three PATs), including the game-winning 23-yard field goal in a 30-28
victory at the New York Jets (9/12).
• Hit the game-winning 26-yard field goal against Indianapolis (9/19) in a 31-28 win.
• Had a New England franchise-record streak of PATs snapped at 117 with a blocked attempt at Arizona (10/31).
1998 (PATRIOTS):
• Split the uprights on 31-of-39 field goals and all 32 PATs for a then-career-best 127 points (also includes a two-point conversion).
• His 31 field goals were a then-career-best.
• Added nine special teams tackles.
• Named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts at New Orleans (10/4) and vs. Miami (11/23) and earned Special Teams
Player of the Month honors in October having converted 10-of-11 field goals and nine PATs for 39 points.
• Converted three-of-four field goals, including a 52-yarder vs. Indianapolis (9/13).
• Hit all three field goal attempts and three PATs at New Orleans (10/4), including a game-winning 27-yard kick in a 30-27 victory.
Earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his performance.
• Logged a career-high 16 points on four-of-four field goal attempts and four PATs against Kansas City (10/11).
• Nailed all four field goal attempts and two extra points against Miami (11/23) earning AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
• Hit the game-winning 35-yard field goal with three seconds left in a 24-21 victory against San Francisco (12/20).
1997 (PATRIOTS):
• Was 25-of-29 in field goal attempts while contributing with 40 PATs for 115 points.
• Named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance against Buffalo (10/12).
• Hit the game-winning 34-yard field goal in a 27-24 overtime victory against the New York Jets (9/14).
• Converted four-of-four field goals and three PATs for 15 points against Buffalo (10/12). Hit a then-career-long 52 yard field goal and
was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts.
• Scored all of the Patriots points with two field goals (31 and 46 yards) at Pittsburgh (1/3) in the Divisional Playoffs.
1996 (PATRIOTS):
• Converted 27-of-35 field goals and 39-of-42 PATs for 120 points, which ranked third in the AFC and fifth in the NFL.
• Was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance against Jacksonville (9/22).
• His 120 points by a rookie ranked eighth in NFL history.
• Split the uprights on five-of-six field goals and one-of-two PATs for a season-high 16 points vs. Jacksonville (9/22) earning AFC
Special Teams Player of the Week honors. Hit the game-winning 40-yard field goal in overtime in the 28-25 victory as his field goals
made marked a then-career-best, while his attempts are a career-high.
• Tallied three field goals on three attempts while adding three PATs at Baltimore (10/6). Also contributed with a season-long 50-yard
field goal.
• Contributed with four extra points in the team’s 28-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers (1/5) in the Divisional Playoffs.
• Converted two-of-three field goals and two PATs against Jacksonville (1/12) in the AFC Championship Game.
• Made three extra points in the team’s Super Bowl XXXI loss to the Green Bay Packers (1/26).
COLLEGE:
• Four-year letterman who finished as South Dakota State’s all-time leading scorer with 185 career points.
• Served as the school’s placekicker and also handled punting duties in his final three seasons, earning first-team all-conference honors
each year.
• Split the uprights on 27-of-53 career field goals with 104-of-114 PATs. Also added 144 career punts.
• Tallied 47 points as a senior and tied a career-long kick with a 51-yard field goal. Originally set the school record with a 51-yard field
goal as a sophomore.
• Led the conference with a 43.5 punting average as a senior, which also ranked fourth in Division II. Contributed with a career-long 77-
yard kick.
• Earned second-team all-conference honors as a junior.
• Holds a degree in fitness and wellness.
PERSONAL:
• Attended Rapid City (S.D.) Central High School and lettered in football, soccer, track and wrestling.
• Earned first-team all-state honors in 1991.
• Vinatieri and his wife, Valerie, reside with their sons, A.J. and Gabriel, and daughter, Allison.
• Born in Yankton, S.D.