Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri reacts after kicking a field goal during the first half of an NFL football against the New York Giants, Monday, Nov. 3, 2014, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun, File)
After another year of voting, the total number of kickers and punters combined to be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame remains at five. Adam Vinatieri was not elected in his first year on the ballot, despite making the final 15. Vinatieri is the NFL’s all-time leading scorer with 2,673 career points. The 24-year veteran also made the most consecutive field goals, netting 44 in a row.
This debate about kickers and the hall of fame is like the MLB Hall of Fame debate with the closer position. Billy Wagner was just elected in his tenth and final year of eligibility and is regarded as one of the best closers ever. Only nine closers in the history of Major League Baseball have been elected. Voters have been more lenient with closers compared to kickers, with Mariano Rivera being the only unanimous selection in baseball history. Rivera and Vinatieri had similar careers, yet one was unanimous and one failed to be elected in his first year.
Both came in clutch on the biggest stages, with the Yankees closer winning five championships and the Patriots and Colts kicker winning four. Vinatieri nailed two game-winning field goals in the Super Bowl, along with plenty of other clutch kicks in his postseason career. The South Dakota State alum was named first team All-Pro three times and had three Pro Bowl nods.
Vinatieri’s numbers could be rattled off all day to further his case, but the root of the problem is with the new Hall of Fame rules. No more than five and no less than three players can be elected in one singular cycle. With the likes of Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Larry Fitzgerald and the greatest-of-all-time Tom Brady all up for election in the coming years, chances are looking slim for the kicker. The lack of kickers in Canton should be discussed more, as kickers are a crucial part of a championship team. The Patriots dynasty, arguably the greatest dynasty the sport has ever seen, would not have started without the leg of Vinatieri.
The legendary kicker is not the only one affected by this voting issue. All-time great kickers like Jason Elam, Garo Yepremian and Gary Anderson have never heard their name called for Hall of Fame election. They are some of the greatest kickers ever and have incredible stats to back it up, yet some have been waiting decades or have passed away without being elected.
Another debate is about the future candidates from the kicker position that will be eligible within the next ten years. Stephen Gostkowski is eligible on next year’s ballot, and the likes of Matt Prater, Robbie Gould, Phil Dawson, Graham Gano and Mason Crosby are all eligible soon. If Vinatieri is not elected, these kickers with incredible careers will not stand a chance either. That is not fair to an integral position in one of the three parts of football.
Hall of Fame inductee Ray Guy poses with his bust during the 2014 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Saturday, Aug. 2, 2014, in Canton, Ohio. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)
This is not the only special teams position facing this problem. Ray Guy is the only punter enshrined in Canton, and it took the greatest punter ever until 2014 to be elected. Guy retired in the 80s with great stats and a huge fan base but still could not break through for almost three decades. With greats like Shane Lechler, Thomas Morstead and Pat McAfee having success in an era where punters have gained popularity, it will be hard to keep these guys out of the hall.
The last group that will create an interesting discourse is the gunner position. Matthew Slater had one of, if not the best, special teams career ever. Slater won three Super Bowls with the Patriots and was named first team All-Pro twice, second team All-Pro three times and to ten Pro Bowls in a 16-year career. The gunner is also widely recognized as an outstanding human being and locker room leader, with frequent nominations for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.
Bills legend Steve Tasker has been snubbed for decades as a special teams player. Tasker was a five-time first-team All-Pro and is frequently a semi-finalist for the hall, but he is never really considered in the upper echelon. This is a tragedy for one of the best players ever at one of the very few positions on a football field.
The MLB Hall of Fame asks voters to vote players into Cooperstown who you could not tell the story of baseball without. You cannot tell the story of football without Adam Vinatieri and so many others who rightfully deserve a bust in Canton.