Adam Vinatieri

[UWMandSDSU]

Has it ever been discussed in the athletic department to retire/honor Adam's number at a football game.

[CatchEmAll]

Re: Adam Vinatieri

I'm going to go on record with a firm probably not (?). Unless something has been talked about in the last three years (which I think I would have heard about). Something like that is a pretty dicey issue I would have to think. SDSU has never retired any athlete's number to my knowledge, and setting a precident with Vinny would really take some justification. The athletic department has held the line with Hall of Fame inductees having to wait 25 years before getting in, so I can't imagine they'd start retiring numbers with Vinny. Heck, Jim Langer was in the NFL Hall of Fame before he made SDSU's Hall of Fame, and I would think he'd garner recognition before Vinny in regards of SDSU retiring a number. I know Langer only won 1 Super Bowl and Vinny is on the verge of #4 in 5 tries.

I question though is it athletic accomplishments alone that warrant retiring a number? There have been many former SDSU athletes who excelled on the field and in the class room at SDSU and had great accomplishments in their professional careers. So what is the criteria for retiring a number? That's a serious question too. What criteria do other universities use for retiring athletes numbers? Off the top of my head I would guess Duke retired Christian Laettner and Bobby Hurley's numbers, but neither had professional careers that are remembered. Is it purely what did the athlete do while in school that warrants such a recognition? I don't know.

This I do know, while Vinny's NFL accomplishments are great, I for one don't feel that he gets singled out any differently than leaders in business, government or the like in terms of professional accomplishments that would warrant further recognition from SDSU. Some day he will be in the SDSU Hall of Fame and more than likely the NFL Hall of Fame, but the #4 should always be available for an SDSU football player to wear.

Here's something for everyone to ponder - Adam Vinatieri is not on the SDSU Wall of Fame.

[rjacks21]

Re: Adam Vinatieri

I'm going to go on record with a firm probably not (?).  Unless something has been talked about in the last three years (which I think I would have heard about).  Something like that is a pretty dicey issue I would have to think.  SDSU has never retired any athlete's number to my knowledge, and setting a precident with Vinny would really take some justification.  The athletic department has held the line with Hall of Fame inductees having to wait 25 years before getting in, so I can't imagine they'd start retiring numbers with Vinny.  Heck, Jim Langer was in the NFL Hall of Fame before he made SDSU's Hall of Fame, and I would think he'd garner recognition before Vinny in regards of SDSU retiring a number.  I know Langer only won 1 Super Bowl and Vinny is on the verge of #4 in 5 tries.  

I question though is it athletic accomplishments alone that warrant retiring a number?  There have been many former SDSU athletes who excelled on the field and in the class room at SDSU and had great accomplishments in their professional careers.  So what is the criteria for retiring a number?  That's a serious question too. What criteria do other universities use for retiring athletes numbers?  Off the top of my head I would guess Duke retired Christian Laettner and Bobby Hurley's numbers, but neither had professional careers that are remembered.  Is it purely what did the athlete do while in school that warrants such a recognition?  I don't know.

This I do know, while Vinny's NFL accomplishments are great, I for one don't feel that he gets singled out any differently than leaders in business, government or the like in terms of professional accomplishments that would warrant further recognition from SDSU.  Some day he will be in the SDSU Hall of Fame and more than likely the NFL Hall of Fame, but the #4 should always be available for an SDSU football player to wear.

Here's something for everyone to ponder - Adam Vinatieri is not on the SDSU Wall of Fame.

Just nitpicking CatchEM, but Langer won two Super Bowls (VII & VIII) with Miami.

[CatchEmAll]

Re: Adam Vinatieri

Thanks for catching that. I tend to remember the undefeated season only. So Langer's already twice as successful as I made him to be 40 minutes ago ;D

[2002jack]

Re: Adam Vinatieri

http://www.superbowl.com/news/story/9932297

Adam Vinatieri, who tied a postseason record with five field goals against Baltimore, now has an NFL-record 34 in his postseason career. In his four years at South Dakota State (1991-94) he converted only 27 of 53 attempts and never made first-team all-conference. In 1993, an offensive lineman replaced him as the extra-point kicker, and he sat out the 1995 season. In the spring of 1996, he attended Doug Blevins' kicking camp in Florida, and the rest is history. In his career, he has made 287 of 348 field goals.

He didn't have a very good career at State.  If he gets into the SDSU Hall of FAme it will be because of his NFL career.

[SD-STATE]

Re: Adam Vinatieri

Adam Vinatieri, who tied a postseason record with five field goals against Baltimore, now has an NFL-record 34 in his postseason career. In his four years at South Dakota State (1991-94) he converted only 27 of 53 attempts and never made first-team all-conference. In 1993, an offensive lineman replaced him as the extra-point kicker, and he sat out the 1995 season. In the spring of 1996, he attended Doug Blevins' kicking camp in Florida, and the rest is history. In his career, he has made 287 of 348 field goals.

I did not know that... very interesting.

[1bunnies]

Re: Adam Vinatieri

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Adam have more success at State as a punter.

[CatchEmAll]

Re: Adam Vinatieri

http://www.superbowl.com/news/story/9932297

Adam Vinatieri, who tied a postseason record with five field goals against Baltimore, now has an NFL-record 34 in his postseason career. In his four years at South Dakota State (1991-94) he converted only 27 of 53 attempts and never made first-team all-conference. In 1993, an offensive lineman replaced him as the extra-point kicker, and he sat out the 1995 season. In the spring of 1996, he attended Doug Blevins' kicking camp in Florida, and the rest is history. In his career, he has made 287 of 348 field goals.

He didn't have a very good career at State.  If he gets into the SDSU Hall of FAme it will be because of his NFL career.

Not sure where superbowl.com gets all of their info, but here's a blurb from the Jackrabbit football media guide:

He was a first-team selection on two All-America teams in 1994, CoSIDA and Football Gazette. He set the single-season record for punting average at 43.5 yards per attempt in 1994, set the SDSU mark for the longest field goal at 51 yards (accomplished twice) and held the SDSU record for most points scored by a placekicker, at 195. He also set SDSU records for most career PATs, 104, and most
career field goals, 27. Vinatieri was a first-team all-NCC selection as a punter three straight years (1992-93-94) and earned second-team all-NCC honors as a placekicker in 1992. He was also a two-time firstteam academic all-NCC selection, earning first-team all-district and second-team GTE-CoSIDA Academic All-America honors as a senior. A graduate of Rapid City Central High School,Vinatieri embarked on a professional career with Amsterdam in the World League of American Football (now NFL Europe), before signing with the New England Patriots during the summer of 1996.

The superbowl.com info makes is sound like he was slouch who somehow became a great kicker.  Vinny pulled double duty as punter and place kicker at SDSU. He always attributed his lack of consistancy as a place kicker to having to do both duties.  Can't argue with him. He did lose his place kicking duties to Jim Remme for a stretch in 1993, but did get put back in place during the season.  Not sure what they're getting at by saying he sat out the 1995 season.  Vinny's eligibility was up in '94, I think he graduated from SDSU in the spring of '95 (or at least he was on track to).  I remembered he did a stint in Arena football prior to going to Amsterdam and then to the NFL.  I remember around that time we figured he was playing football for almost 18 straight months by the end of his first NFL season.

Regardless, he accomplished plenty while at SDSU.  He was first team all NCC three times, no small feat.  Was regarded as one of the best kick-off men in the conference during his time.  And yes, his place kicking was average, but he was still one of the best SDSU has ever seen.  When Vinny makes the SDSU Hall of Fame it will be because of a combination of what he accomplished while at SDSU and in the NFL.  All Hall of Fame members were successful in their professional lives as well as their time as student-athletes at SDSU.

[joeboo22]

Re: Adam Vinatieri

I met Adam about 8 years ago maybe 9 it was a year or 2 after his first super bowl that they lost, he is a really nice guy one of those guys you root for even if its against your team. I wasn't happy when he signed with the colts but you have to understand he is known as the best clutch kicker in the nfl, I think SDSU should retire his number but in that should ask for a sizeable donation with it

I do unerstand though how you say why should a college honor athletes and not the brainiacts that succed in the classrooms.

[ringthebells]

Re: Adam Vinatieri

If I remember correctly, he had the highest punting average in the country one year, but came up one punt attempt short of having enough to qualify? While at State, he was a great punter and an inconsistant place kicker. His leg strength was obvious, he just didn't get to focus on that part of the game. I also remember him saying at one point that if the kicking didn't work out, he was planning on going to Med school. Like a lot of athletes, he was successful in and out of the classroom.

[2002jack]

Re: Adam Vinatieri

Thanks for all the info. Like the saying goes, "you can't believe everything you read on the internet." The author of the article on Superbowl.com decided to concentrate on the worse information he could find about Vintieri's college career.

[sdsujacksgrad]

Re: Adam Vinatieri

When I was on SDSU Student Senate we tried to do something for Vinatieri and Timmerman when they were both in the Superbowl and the Athletic Dept stood firm on the 25 year process.

After Vinatieri graduated from SDSU he came back to RC Central to help coach the kickers and punters, me being one of them, in fall 1995. He was working on getting into the World League and ended up with us for about a month so about half the season. If I remember right he was the third best punter in all NCAA the 94 season only behind Todd Sauerbrun who was with West Virginia and another guy from an Arizona school who I think the Rams drafted named McLaughlin or something like that for just placekicking.

[dozer1981]

Re: Adam Vinatieri

Chalk up another superbowl victory for Adam. To bad he had to miss one field goal, but that will be forgotten fast.

[Jacks02]

Re: Adam Vinatieri

Set another NFL record with most points in a single postseason by passing Terrell Davis.

[UWMandSDSU]

Re: Adam Vinatieri

I believe he also set another SB record for most career SB field goals.