[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 37 (Wednesday, February 25, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S674-S675]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO ADAM VINATIERI

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I recognize the selection of South 
Dakota's Adam Vinatieri as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's 
Class of 2026. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest kickers in 
NFL history, scoring 2,673 career points and winning four Super Bowls 
during his 24-year career. He is the third kicker and the second South 
Dakota State University--SDSU--Jackrabbit to be enshrined in the Hall 
of Fame.
  Adam's rise to fame began in my home State of South Dakota. He was 
born in Yankton, SD, and attended Rapid City Central High School where 
he earned All-State honors in football in 1989 and 1990. Continuing his 
punting and kicking career, he then attended SDSU in Brookings, SD, 
where he finished his collegiate career as the school's alltime leading 
scorer. In his senior year at SDSU, Vinatieri earned NCAA Division II 
All-America recognition after setting the school's single-season 
punting record of 43.5 yards per attempt. Additionally, he set SDSU's 
then-record for career field goals, 27; extra points, 104; points by a 
kicker, 195; and longest field goal, 51 yards.
  Adam initially went undrafted by the NFL, but he did not let the 
adversity stop his passion and love for the game. He spent a season 
playing internationally with the Amsterdam Admirals, and the New 
England Patriots signed Adam in 1996 as a free agent. He set a rookie 
franchise record at the time with 120 points. He went on to play 10 
consecutive seasons with the Patriots,

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and he helped the Patriots claim three Super Bowl Championships in four 
seasons--2001, 2003, and 2004--kicking off one of the longest dynasties 
in NFL history. He had a long list of accomplishments during his run 
with the Patriots, and perhaps his most notable was kicking the NFL's 
first-ever Super Bowl winning field goal in Super Bowl XXXVI and 
returning to do it again in Super Bowl XXXVIII.
  As a free agent in 2006, Adam signed with the Indianapolis Colts, 
where he went on to play for another 14 seasons, win Super Bowl XLI, 
and establish records for the franchise, including 44 consecutive field 
goals and 37 field goals made from 50 yards or beyond. Both of these 
records have yet to be broken.
  Adam holds the NFL's record for career points, 2,673; career field 
goals, 599; postseason points, 238; consecutive field goals made, 44; 
most seasons with more than 100 points, 21; and overtime field goals 
made, 12. His four Super Bowl wins are the most of any NFL kicker. 
Additionally, he was a member of the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time 
Team and the NFL All-Decade Team for the 2000s.
  I congratulate Adam for his remarkable career as a professional 
athlete and applaud his well-deserved induction into the Pro Football 
Hall of Fame. He represents the best of South Dakota's values: grit, 
determination, humility, and fortitude. He defined excellence in the 
game, overcoming unimaginable pressures and delivering record-breaking 
accomplishments. From his start as a Rapid City Central Cobbler to 
helping two NFL franchises to Super Bowl victories, Adam's leadership 
and legacy will continue to inspire generations of South Dakotans to 
come.

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