There is sometimes talk of the “fellowship of kickers” – the belief that they have such a different mentality than the rest of the team, that they are more like the other kickers than their own teammates. Patriots’ kicker Stephen Gostkowski is quick to dispel that notion when Pro Player Insiders caught up with him on Media Day, as he is clearly a Patriot first and a kicker second.
Asked about being on the sidelines in the AFC Championship game and watching Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff miss the potentially game-tying field goal at the end of the fourth quarter, the “fellowship” was clearly not part of the equation.
“It’s part of the job,” Gostkowski said. “You never want to see someone go down like that… but at the same time, my job is to help the Patriots win, and I felt like I helped them last week, and I was excited to be going to the Super Bowl.”
Gostkowski has clearly done that for the Patriots this year, and throughout his career. He is a career 84.4 percent field goal kicker, and was right on track this year as he hit on 28 of 33 attempts (85 percent) this season. And in clutch time, he was a perfect 5 for 5 in the fourth quarter.
In fact, he hasn’t missed a fourth quarter field goal since 2006, his rookie season.
Looking ahead to Super Bowl XLVI, history says it will probably be close. The last three games between the Patriots and Giants, going all the way back to 2007, were all decided by 4 points or less, and two were decided by a field goal. If it does come down to clutch kicking, Gostkowski is the guy you want in your corner.
PPI: What did you feel being on the sideline when Billy Cundiff missed? How do you feel for a fellow kicker?
SG: I felt bad for him personally, but I was excited to be in a Super Bowl. It’s part of the job. You never want to see someone go down like that, because you know it could happen to anybody, but at the same time, my job is to help the Patriots win, and I felt like I helped them last week, and I was excited to be going to the Super Bowl.
Q: You’re obviously playing in Adam Vinatieri’s home stadium Sunday. Have you had any contact with him this week?
SG: I have not.
Q: Do you have a relationship with him at all?
SG: Just the times I see him before the games.
Q: In terms of preparation for the week, will you do anything differently before the Super Bowl than you would during the regular season?
SG: Nope.
Q: Off the field, what kind of things do you like doing?
SG: I like golf, I like bowling, I like hanging out with my family.
Q: Any pregame meals that you partake in on game day?
SG: Whatever they give us at the hotel.
