Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri has accomplished a lot during his illustrious 19-year career.
During his time with the Patriots (1996-2005), Vinatieri played in four Super Bowls and won two of them with a game-winning kick. Vinatieri also made one of the greatest kicks in NFL history when he hit a 45-yarder in a snowstorm against the Raiders to force overtime in the divisional round of the 2001 playoffs.
Anyone remember Adam Vinatieri GW 45 yd FG in the snow.? pic.twitter.com/aEEhBOR6l2
— Big L (@HutchKnows) December 8, 2013
The 41-year-old has been to two Pro Bowls and played in 27 playoff games, however, there's one thing Vinatieri has never done: Put together a perfect season.
A perfect season for a kicker involves making every single field goal and extra point and it's almost impossible to pull off. If you need proof, just consider this: It's only happened three times in NFL history for any kicker who's attempted 15 or more field goals in a season.
To put that in perspective against other positions, think about it like this: The 5,000 yard passing season has been done eight times in NFL history. The 2,000 yard rushing season has been done seven times.
However, the perfect season for a kicker has only been done three times: Gary Anderson in 1998 (35 of 35 with the Vikings), Jeff Wilkins in 2000 (17 of 17 with the Rams) and Mike Vanderjagt in 2003 (37 of 37 with the Colts).
Rams kicker Tony Zendejas was a perfect 17 of 17 on field goals in 1991, but he missed an extra point in a November loss to Kansas City.
If Vinatieri, who's 28 of 28 on the season, has a perfect day on Sunday against the Titans, he'll join Anderson, Wilkins and Vanderjagt on the short list of perfect kickers. Fittingly, Sunday's game is being played on Vinatieri's 42nd birthday.
A perfect season would enhance Vinatieri's Hall of Fame case. However, it probably wouldn't make him a lock and that's mainly because there's no such thing as a lock with kickers.
There's only one true kicker in the Hall of Fame -- Jan Stenerud -- and he was inducted in 1991. Former kickers George Blanda and Lou Groza are also in the Hall of Fame, but both of them played other positions.
