The retired placekicker also directed barbs at Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Pat McAfee
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NEED TO KNOW
- Adam Vinatieri brought the jokes to his Hall of Fame induction speech
- The former NFL kicker roasted Bill Belichick, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Pat McAfee
- Vinatieri is the NFL’s all-time leading scorer
Adam Vinatieri, known for his rock-steady acumen as a kicker for 24 seasons in the NFL, fired a few shots in the direction of his former coach Bill Belichick during his speech at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“Unfortunately, Bill couldn’t make it today,” the former New England Patriots player, 53, said at his enshrinement as part of the Class of 2026 on Saturday, Aug. 8 in Canton, Ohio. “There’s a lot going on at UNC right now.”
He added about the Carolina football head coach: “I thought it was because training camp had already started, but in truth, he was judging his girlfriend’s cheerleading competition.”
Credit: Nick Cammett/Getty
Belichick, 74 — who was not in attendance at the ceremony after he failed to garner enough votes earlier this year to make the Hall of Fame on his first ballot — has been a frequent supporter of his 25-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson’s cheerleading pursuits.
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The second-year college football coach, who has won six Super Bowl rings with the Patriots (and another two as an assistant with the New York Giants), encountered pushback from voters due to his twin controversies — Spygate and Deflategate — in his quest for enshrinement, ESPN reported at the time.
For Vinatieri, who is considered to be one of the greatest placekickers of all time, being center-stage Saturday offered an opportunity to try out some other new comedy material.
The NFL’s all-time leading scorer roasted his former quarterback, Peyton Manning, thanking him for his “gigantic forehead.”
“And Peyton, thank you for generously donating your forehead for today’s teleprompter,” Vinatieri joked. “A gigantic forehead means big brain and your football IQ is unmatched.”
Viniatieri could not resist poking fun at another one of his former quarterbacks, Tom Brady, and lined up his most risqué joke at the expense of his friend and former teammate.
“Pat McAfee is here,” Vinatieri said of his former-holder-turned-ESPN-star. “The only other person who loved holding my balls more than my wife.”
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