Adam Matthew Vinatieri was born to Paul and Judy Vinatieri on December 28th, 1972 in Yankton South Dakota, and is the second of four children. Adam lettered in football, soccer, track, and wrestling at Rapid City Central High School (South Dakota) and earned first-team all-state honors in 1991. He then earned a degree in fitness and wellness at South Dakota State.

Adam was a four-year letterman at South Dakota State as a place-kicker, and also handled the team's punting chores from 1992 through 1994, earning himself first-team all-conference honors in each of those three seasons. He finished his collegiate career as the school's all-time scoring leader with 185 career points scored.

His younger brother, Beau, is a kicker at Blackhill State College.
After college he spent the fall of 1995 training to compete professionally, and his hard work paid off. He received a World League tryout and earned a roster position with the Amsterdam Admirals as a place-kicker and punter.
 
Adam has been very active in the community since joining the Patriots in 1996. The Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Athletes in Action, D.A.R.E. and the Governer's Highway Safety Bureau are just a few of the many charities that Adam has donated time and resources to over the past couple of years. He is also the spokesperson for Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island’s Teen Anti-smoking Contest. Adam is an active partner of findRI.com, Inc. "Rhode Island’s Online Magazine." findRI.com was launched in 1997 to make it easier for Rhode Islanders to find local information on the Internet, and help local business make meaningful connections with the same audience.