We are in the golden age of NFL players over the age of 40. While New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is still on the top of his game at 41 years old, one of his former teammates is equally going strong: Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri, a fresh 45 years of age, is showing no signs of slowing down and keeps adding to his already legendary résumé. His latest accomplishments might be one of his most impressive.
On Sunday, during the Colts’ game against the Oakland Raiders, Vinatieri passed Hall of Fame kicker Morten Andersen as the NFL’s all-time leading scorer. In his 25 years in the league, Andersen had scored a total of 2,544 points – Vinatieri, who is in his 23rd season in the NFL, is currently sitting at 2,547 and counting.
Vinatieri originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent signing by the Patriots in 1996. The South Dakota State product spent the first 10 years of his career with the club and helped New England win its first three Super Bowls – delivering the game-winning kicks in two of the title games. Vinatieri left the Patriots after the 2005 season and went on to join the Indianapolis Colts, for whom he has played ever since.