New England Patriots
“I love all those guys.”
Adam Vinatieri won four Super Bowls in his NFL career. AP Photo/Steve Luciano, File
Former Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri spent a hefty portion of his nearly 20-minute speech on Saturday thanking people who helped him on his journey toward his eventual enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
But, the four-time Super Bowl champion also saved some room in his speech in Canton for some jabs — doling out several jokes at several of his former coaches and teammates like Bill Belichick and Peyton Manning.
“Unfortunately, Bill couldn’t make it here today. There’s a lot going on at UNC right now. He may be on a recruiting trip right now looking for the next Lawrence Taylor,” Vinatieri said of his former coach in New England, who was snubbed from the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026. “I thought it was because training camp had already started.
“But in truth it’s because he is judging his girlfriend’s cheerleading competition. … All jokes aside, in my opinion Bill is the greatest coach of all time.”
Vinatieri’s ribbing — which also included a joke about “Deflategate” — led to plenty of discourse on the radio airwaves over the intent of Vinatieri’s comments, and whether or not he was trying to take a shot at his former team and the head coach that let him walk as a free agent after the 2005 season.
Speaking on WEEI Tuesday, Vinatieri stressed that there was no ill intent behind any of his jokes.
“If you got mentioned in my speech, you’re very dear to me,” Vinatieri explained. “There’s no animosity. I know people want to start stuff, and I guess I gave you guys two days of good radio to talk about stuff. There’s no animosity. It was meant to be fun. And if you didn’t like it, that means you don’t have a sense of humor.”
Belichick, Patriots owner Robert Kraft, and Vinatieri’s longtime teammate Tom Brady weren’t in attendance for Saturday’s Hall-of-Fame ceremony. Vinatieri said those absences weren’t due to any bad blood — even though both Belichick and Kraft didn’t receive the call to the Hall of Fame earlier this year.
According to Vinatieri, Kraft had planned to attend the ceremony, but had to cancel due to plane issues.
“He was clearly upset that he wasn’t able to get his plane there in time,” Vinatieri said of Kraft. “Coach Belichick reached out to me months ago, letting me know, ‘Hey, I’m sorry, I can’t make it in.’ Camp’s going on and all that.”
“Like I said before, there’s zero animosity,” Vinatieri added. “I love all those guys.”
Even with his jokes, Vinatieri made sure to salute both Kraft and Belichick during his speech.
“To Mr. Kraft and the Kraft family. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for building an environment second to none. These past 25 years of the Patriot dynasty may never be repeated,” Vinatieri said. ”Your time to join us on this stage and in the hall is right around the corner. And I can’t wait.
“I would repeat those last few statements about Coach Bill Belichick as well. Thank you for demanding excellence every single day. Your preparation, discipline, and attention to detail shaped far more than my football career.”
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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