INDIANAPOLIS – The sting of the loss was still palpable but Chuck Pagano knew a call was necessary.
As Pagano left Lucas Oil Stadium in the early hours of a snowy Monday morning, the Colts head coach dialed up the oldest player in the NFL.
Pagano wanted to let Adam Vinatieri know just how special of an achievement the 41-year old kicker had reached that night by scoring 100 points for the 17th season (a new NFL record).
"Talking to Vinny, he was like, 'Hey, coach I appreciate it but it's all about winning and it's all about the team," Pagano says of his phone call with Vinatieri.
"He's such a selfless guy. You know why he's as successful as he is. He's been able to do this for so long because of the man he is, the person he is. He's got great talent, all that but he's a great pro and he's a great person."
With Vinatieri's fourth quarter extra point on Sunday night, he reached eight points for the game and 100 points for the 2014 season.
That broke a tie with former kicker Jason Elam of 16 years with at least 100 points scored.
Vinatieri has now scored a point in 171 consecutive games and is the fourth player in NFL history to reach 2,100 career points.
His 53-yard field goal midway through the third quarter on Sunday gave him 28 straight makes, which is the longest such streak of his career and is second in Colts franchise history.
As if Vinatieri needed to add any more bullets to his lengthy Hall of Fame resume he is doing it in his 19th NFL season.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick didn’t hold back with his praise for Vinatieri last week and the kicker performed as such on Sunday night.
Of the 27 NFL kickers who have attempted at least 11 field goals this season, Vinatieri is the only one yet to miss (22-of-22).
"It's quite an unbelievable feat what he's been able to do especially at 41 years old as good as he's playing, as well as he's kicking the ball," Pagano says of the soon to be 42-year old kicker.
"At 41 years old, to be kicking the ball the way that he's kicking it right now, straight through the uprights every time, Mr. Automatic, whatever you want to call him. If this doesn't make him a first ballot Hall of Famer, nothing will."
