Adam Vinatieri Passes Morten Andersen as NFL's All-Time Leading Scorer

Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri passed Hall of Fame kicker Morten Andersen to become the all-time leading scorer in NFL history Sunday during the Colts' game against the Oakland Raiders. 

Vinatieri moved beyond Andersen's total of 2,544 points with a field goal in the second quarter of the Week 8 contest at Oakland Coliseum.

The 45-year-old South Dakota native rose to prominence for his clutch kicks as a member of the New England Patriots, including the game-winning field goals in Super Bowl XXXVI and Super Bowl XXXVIII, but his longevity allowed him to chase down the scoring record.

In June, Vinatieri told Andrew Walker of the Colts' official website the allure of passing Andersen played a role in his decision to keep playing, but it wasn't the only factor:

"Obviously this all-time leading scorer thing I knew was out there and I thought, 'Man, if I stay healthy, I would like to reach that goal.' But for me, like I said before, more importantly if our team is a team that is a contender to continue to make playoffs and have a chance to play in another Super Bowl and stuff, that is a huge, huge driving factor for me."

It's the latest monumental achievement on a career resume that also includes four championships, three Pro Bowl selections and three first-team All-Pro nods.

Vinatieri accomplished all that despite going undrafted out of South Dakota State in 1996.

The Patriots signed him later in the offseason, and he spent the first decade of his Hall of Fame career in New England. He left to sign with the Colts in 2006 and has given no indication he's planning to retire in the immediate future.

So he could put some distance between himself and the chasing pack atop the scoring list in the years ahead.