What is Adam Vinatieri's Net Worth?
Adam Vinatieri is an American professional football player who has a net worth of $25 million. Widely regarded as one of the best kickers in the history of American Football, Vinatieri spent 24 seasons with teams like the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts. He has scored more points than any other NFL player in history, with 2, 673. He also holds the record for the most field goals, postseason points, and overtime field goals.
His story began in 1996, when Adam signed for the Patriots as an undrafted free agent. He then played 10 seasons with the Patriots before joining the Colts for another 14 seasons. He won three Super Bowls with the Patriots and a fourth with the Colts, which means he has more Super Bowl trophies to his name than any kicker in NFL history. Yet another record: he is the only player to score 1,000 points for two different franchises. Finally, at the age of almost 50, Vinatieri decided to retire in 2021 after spending a year as a free agent. He was the last remaining NFL player who began his career during the last millennium.
Adored by fans, Vinatieri has exhibited a tremendous talent for kicking accuracy. He also performs extremely well under pressure, scoring some of the most crucial field goals ever seen on a football field. Indeed, the Patriots would have found it almost impossible to achieve many of their Super Bowl titles without Adam.
Early Life
Adam Matthew Vinatieri was born on December 28th of 1972 in Yankton, South Dakota. Raised in a family with Italian, German, and English roots. His family members include great-great grandfather Felix Vinatieri, who served as Custer's bandmaster and narrowly escaped death at Little Big Horn. Adam is also third cousin to Evel Knievel and second cousin to author Tim Foecke.
At the age of five, he relocated with his family to Rapid City. During these early years, Vinatieri struggled with reading comprehension and was placed in a classroom with children who had learning disabilities. However, Adam excelled in athletic pursuits, earning spots on the football, basketball, soccer, wrestling, and track teams. His talents truly shone on the football field, however, where he earned first-team All-State honors as a senior. Despite eventually finding his position as a kicker, Vinatieri first played as a quarterback and later a middle linebacker.
Vinatieri eventually graduated from high school in 1991 and attended the United States Military Academy but returned home just two weeks later. He then decided to enroll at South Dakota State University, becoming a placekicker and punter for the school's football team. He eventually finished his college football career as SDSU's all-time leading scorer while also earning first-team all-conference honors.
Career
In 1996, Adam began to aim for a professional career in football. He first earned a position with the Amsterdam Admirals in the World League of American Football, but he was signed by the Patriots later that year as an undrafted free agent. Immediately, Vinatieri faced strong competition from starting placekicker Matt Bahr, but he was able to oust the 17-year veteran and earn the starting position.
Even though Adam was mostly relegated to kicking duties, he chased down and tackled a returner on a kickoff, earning much praise from his coach and fans. In 1996, he reached his first Super Bowl, which ended in defeat. Vinatieri would never again lose a Super Bowl. In 2001, he kicked an impossible, 45-yard field goal during a blizzard in the final moments of a game against the Oakland Raiders. The kick sent the game into overtime, and the Patriots went on to win thanks to another field goal by Vinatieri. Later that season, Adam kicked a 48-yard field goal to seal his first Super Bowl. Two years later, he kicked another long field goal to give the Patriots a second Super Bowl.
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In 2004, he threw a 4-yard touchdown pass in a clever, fake field goal attempt. That season, he scored another field goal during a third Super Bowl win with the Patriots. 2005 proved to be his final season with the Patriots, and he departed as the team's all-time leading scorer with 1,156 points. In 2006, he joined the Indianapolis Colts after he was allowed to become a free agent. He signed a five-year contract with the team and earned a $3.5-million signing bonus. The Colts eventually reached the Super Bowl in 2006 and won it, giving Adam his fourth Super Bowl trophy.
Vinatieri struggled with injuries over the next few years but continued to set a number of records. By 2016, he had signed a $6-million contract extension with the Colts and agreed upon a bonus of $500,000 if he managed to finish the season with a field goal rate of over 90%. Unfortunately, he missed a kick in the final game and lost the bonus. Adam went on to set more records in 2018 before starting his 24th and final season in 2019. He then spent a single year as a free agent before announcing his retirement in 2021.
Career Earnings
Over the course of his 24-season career, Adam Vinatieri earned more than $50 million in salary. That does not include endorsements. In terms of brand deals, he is known for appearing in a notable Snickers commercial and a series of advertisements for Papa Gino's.
Real Estate
In 2007, it was reported that Vinatieri owned a home in Rapid City, although it was listed under the name of his LLC. In 2020, it was reported that he had listed his home in Carmel, Indiana for $2.25 million, having originally purchased the home for $1.3 million in 2012. This represents a considerable profit margin. The home spans 12,285 square feet of living space and sits on almost 15 acres of land. Highlights include six bedrooms, an indoor pool, an exercise room, a sauna, a home theater, a five-car garage, a greenhouse, and its very own forest.
