Adam Vinatieri Adam Matthew Vinatieri ( born December 28 , 1972 ) is an American football placekicker currently playing for the Indianapolis Colts . He has played in six Super Bowl s , four with the New England Patriots and two with the Colts . Vinatieri won a Super Bowl in 2006 with Indianapolis and won Super Bowls in 2001 , 2003 , and 2004 with the Patriots . Vinatieri is the first kicker ever to win four Super Bowl rings . Vinatieri has been called " Mr . Clutch " by the media due to his reputation for clutch kicking during his tenure in the National Football League . Nicknamed " Automatic Adam " for his accuracy , and " Iceman " for his incredible poise under pressure , Vinatieri has converted several of the most crucial field goals in NFL history , including the game - tying and - winning kicks in blizzard conditions in the infamous " Tuck Rule Game " , and game - winning kicks in the final seconds of two Super Bowls ( XXXVI , XXXVIII ) . Career . High School . Vinatieri was born the son of Paul and Judy Vinatieri , he is the second of four children . His younger brother Beau was a place kicker at Black Hills State University before graduating in 2003 . Vinatieri attended Central High School ( Rapid City , South Dakota ) and was a letterman in football , wrestling , basketball , soccer , and track . In football , he earned first team All - State honors as a senior . He graduated from Central High School in 1991 . College career . Vinatieri was originally recruited to kick for Army and attended West Point for two weeks in 1991 before deciding to return home to South Dakota . He was a four - year letterman at South Dakota State University as a placekicker and punter . While there , he won two Division II titles and he finished up his college years as the school ' s all - time scoring leader with 185 career points . Amsterdam Admirals . Vinatieri spent the fall of 1995 training to compete professionally . He received a tryout for the World League of American Football ( later rebranded as NFL Europe ) , now defunct , and earned a roster position with the Amsterdam Admirals as a placekicker and punter . In that season the Admirals lost the World Bowl III against Frankfurt Galaxy . New England Patriots . In 1996 , Vinatieri was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent to be a place kicker . He played in New England for the first 10 years of his NFL career , during which he played in four Super Bowl s , winning three . His first Super Bowl appearance was in his rookie season of 1996 , when he played with the Patriots in their 35 - 21 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXI . One of his kickoffs in the Super Bowl was returned by Desmond Howard a Super Bowl record 99 yards for a touchdown . In the 2001 playoffs , during a blizzard against the Oakland Raiders in the final game at Foxboro Stadium , Vinatieri kicked a 45 - yard field goal to tie the game 13 - 13 and send it into overtime . The Patriots won the game on another field goal of 23 yards by Vinatieri . In Super Bowl XXXVI he kicked a 48 - yard field goal on the final play to give the New England Patriots their first Super Bowl victory , a 20 - 17 win over the St . Louis Rams . Two years later , and in an almost identical situation , he kicked a 41 - yard field goal with 4 seconds left in Super Bowl XXXVIII to boost the Patriots to another championship ( after missing one field goal and having another attempt blocked in the first half ) . This time , the Patriots defeated the Carolina Panthers 32 - 29 , making Vinatieri the first player ever to be the deciding factor in two Super Bowl games ( Vinatieri kept the balls used on both of these kicks ) . Vinatieri led the NFL in scoring in 2004 with 141 points ( 31 - for - 33 on field goals , and a perfect 48 - for - 48 on points after touchdown or PATs ) . His best game of the season came against the St . Louis Rams , against whom he scored 16 points ( 4 field goals , 4 PATs ) , and threw a 4 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Troy Brown on a fake field goal attempt ( that pass gives him a career passer rating of 122 . 9 ) . He went on to score a field goal and three extra points in the Patriots 24 - 21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX . By the time Vinatieri finished his final season with the Patriots in 2005 , he had kicked 18 game - winning field goals with less than one minute remaining , including those mentioned in the postseason . At the conclusion of the 2005 season , he had a career field goal percentage of 81 . 9 percent ( 263 / 321 ) , fifth highest in NFL history . His career long is 57 yards . In his time in New England , his community involvement included helping Christian athletes , D . A . R . E . , and the Governor ' s Highway Safety Bureau . He was a spokesperson for the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island ' s teen anti - smoking contest , and also appeared in commercials for Boston - based pizza Papa Gino ' s . Vinatieri finished his 10 seasons with the Patriots as the team ' s all time leading scorer with 1 , 156 points . The Patriots have not re - issued Vinatieri ' s # 4 since he left the team . After the 2005 season , the Patriots chose not to place the franchise tag on Vinatieri as they had the year before , allowing him to become a free agent . He had visited with the Green Bay Packers , but left without a contract offer . On March 22 , 2006 , Vinatieri signed with the Indianapolis Colts , replacing Mike Vanderjagt who was signed by the Dallas Cowboys . Vinatieri was signed to a five - year contract and received a $ 3 . 5 million signing bonus . Indianapolis Colts . " When the Colts called , I told my agent , ` Let ' s not screw around , ' " said Vinatieri , in his first extensive comments regarding his departure from New England . " I told him , ' If Indy is interested , let ' s get this done . ' " . . . Vinatieri said he has no regrets about not giving the Patriots a chance to counter the offer . Vinatieri has had one kick blocked in the RCA Dome . With the New England Patriots , Vinatieri was perfect against the Colts in Indianapolis . In the second round of the 2006 AFC playoffs , Vinatieri kicked a playoff record - tying five field goals in the Colts ' 15 - 6 upset of the favored Baltimore Ravens . The record of five field goals in a playoff game is one Vinatieri originally set himself against the Colts in the 2003 AFC Championship game . The Colts reached Super Bowl XLI after defeating the Patriots in the AFC Championship game . It was Vinatieri ' s fifth Super Bowl appearance , and his first with the Colts . The Colts defeated the Chicago Bears by a score of 29 - 17 . Vinatieri was 3 for 4 on field goals , and 1 for 2 on points after touchdowns , the miss when punter / holder Hunter Smith fumbled the snap on the extra - point attempt . He missed a 36 yard kick wide left at the end of the first half — the third time he has missed a kick in the Super Bowl . Although the Colts scored three touchdowns , the snap for the first point after was bobbled by the place holder , resulting in no kick . Super Bowl XLI was his fourth Super Bowl victory , one behind the record held by Charles Haley . Vinatieri finished the 2006 - 07 postseason with 49 total points and 14 field goals , both NFL records . He is the only player to have 3 or more field goals in 4 consecutive postseason games . During the 2007 season , Vinatieri appeared in all 16 games and was 23 - 29 field goals ( FGs ) and 49 - 51 PATs for 118 points ( both missed PATs were blocked ) . This season marked the 12th consecutive 100 + point season . He kicked his 20th career game - winning FG in the final minute of a 4th quarter or overtime with 24 - yarder with : 03 remaining vs . Kansas City on November 18 , 2007 . In the postseason that year , Vinatieri extended his NFL career post - season records in field goals ( 41 ) , attempts ( 50 ) , points ( 172 ) and consecutive games scoring ( 22 ) . During the 2008 season he appeared in 16 games and was 20 - 25 FGs and 43 - 43 PATs for 103 points , his 13th consecutive season with over ( 100 + ) points . He made a 47 - yard game - winner with : 03 remaining against Minnesota on September 14 , the 21st of his career . He made a 52 - yard FG vs . New England on November 2 with 8 : 05 remaining for deciding points in 18 - 15 victory and was named AFC Special Teams Player - of - the - Week . Later that month , on November 23 , Vinatieri hit a game - winner with : 00 remaining at San Diego . This 51 yarder was both his longest game - winning FG and the 22nd game - winning FG of career . Vinatieri appeared in only 6 games for the Colts in 2009 . In July 2009 , Vinatieri had surgery on his right hip to alleviate a nagging injury , but the Colts expected that he would be ready for the season . However , Vinatieri struggled early in the season and complained of soreness in his knee . Doctors found loose cartilage in an MRI , and Vinatieri underwent arthroscopic surgery during the Colts ' bye week . He was expected to miss 4 – 8 weeks while recovering . The Colts signed former Baltimore Ravens kicker Matt Stover to replace him . There was speculation over whether the Colts could cut Vinatieri , but Colts president Bill Polian stated that Vinatieri would return when he was 100 % healthy . Vinatieri would remain injured for the entire 2009 regular season as well as throughout the Colts ' postseason run to Super Bowl XLIV . Vinatieri did not play in Super Bowl XLIV , which the Colts lost to the New Orleans Saints . The 2010 season showed a return to form after his injury - plagued 2009 season . Vinatieri continued to solidify his reputation as a kicker in the NFL . He appeared in 15 games that season . In the final game of the Regular Season in which the Colts claimed the AFC South title , he recorded his 23rd career game - winning kick in the final minute of regulation or overtime . After this final regular season game , Vinatieri was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for the second time in 2010 after receiving that honor after his performance against the Cincinnati Bengals on November 14 . Some other noteworthy accomplishments for Vinatieri during 2010 include : With 53 seconds left in the Colts ' Wild Card playoff game against the New York Jets , Vinatieri kicked a 50 - yard field goal , his third field goal of the game , to put the Colts ahead 16 - 14 . The Jets later won the game , though , on a 32 - yard field goal by Nick Folk as time expired to win 17 - 16 . Career stats . " These statistics are accurate as of January 12 , 2012 . " Personal . Vinatieri , his wife Valeri , and their two children , AJ and Allison , reside in Carmel , Indiana during the football season and Celebration , Florida during the off - season . He is the second of four children . His great - great grandfather was Felix Vinatieri , an Italian immigrant who served as Lt Col George Armstrong Custer ' s bandmaster . Adam Vinatieri has stated that Lt Col Custer told Felix Vinatieri to head back to camp instead of going ahead with the regiment to Little Big Horn , and that this decision saved his great - great grandfather ' s life . He is also a third cousin to the daredevil Evel Knievel and second cousin to scientist and author Tim Foecke . A collection of Felix Vinatieri manuscripts and instruments can be found at the National Music Museum located in Vermillion , South Dakota . Endorsements . Vinatieri starred in a television commercial for the Snickers candy bar with the tagline , " Split the Uprights with Adam Nougatieri . " He also appeared in a sketch comedy Da Bears for " Saturday Night Live " , and as a guest - star in programs and movies like " NFL Monday Night Football " , " NBC Sunday Night Football " , " ESPN Sunday Night Football " , " The Greatest Game Ever Played " .