This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/24/2016
In 1995, Adam Vinatieri was looking for an opportunity in professional football. Fresh out of South Dakota State, he received a tryout for the now-defunct World League of American Football (later re-branded as NFL Europe) and earned a roster spot as placekicker and punter with the Amsterdam Admirals for the 1995 season. In his only WLAF season, the Admirals made it to the World Bowl III before falling to the Frankfurt Galaxy. Featured here is the earliest known professional jersey of the ever-reliable Adam Vinatieri, a year before he latched on with the New England Patriots and eventually cemented his name into American football lore. The New England faithful owe this guy several tea parties of gratitude for the of clutch kicks he nailed in the snow, wind, and rain--most notably, his last-second game-winners in both Super Bowl XXXVI and XXXVIII.
The wild, mostly white mesh jersey has a large colorful Amsterdam Admirals logo screen-printed on the front, with smaller versions on the sleeves. Vinatieri's No. "5" is sewn on the right chest in navy-on-black tackle twill and appears much larger on the back in the same format; his No. "5" is sewn on both sleeves as well in white-on-black tackle twill. A blue World League patch and white Reebok logo patch are sewn above the left chest. The Reebok manufacturer's tagging with size 46 appears on the left front tail. "VINATIERI" in white tackle twill is sewn across the back on a blue nameplate. Vinatieri has signed the back '5' with the inscription "Game Worn 1996 Amsterdam Admirals" in bold silver marker. (He put the wrong year.) What a unique gamer from one of the most clutch kickers in NFL history
Includes LOA signed by Adam Vinatieri. Pre-certified by PSA/DNA.