33 NFL Players To Help You Survive The Zombie Apocalypse

22. Adam Vinatieri

At 43, Adam Vinatieri is the oldest player in the NFL. Cynics would point out he’s a kicker and therefore no big deal. But there are dozens of other kickers in the league, none of whom are 43, and 90-something percent of them won’t be in the league when they’re 43. Regardless of position, playing professional football for 20 years is no joke. Neither is surviving a zombie apocalypse. You have to be tough, mentally and physically. You have to be able to execute in difficult conditions. You have to be able to do so day after day, week after week, year after year. Old heads deserve respect. In life and in football, a lot of people don’t make it.

Vinatieri entered the sporting world’s consciousness after making a playoff game-tying 45-yard field goal in a swirling blizzard to tie the Patriots with the Oakland Raiders, then hitting another in overtime to complete New England’s “Tuck Rule Game” comeback. That showed he can block out external obstacles and do what needs to be done, a useful trait when an army of the undead are swirling around you. But the proof of Vinatieri’s internal drive and toughness could be seen in his rookie season, when on a kickoff he ran down and tackled legendary physical specimen Herschel Walker. Anyone bringing that level of effort and focus day after day decade after decade is someone you want on your side when the zombies come.

Next: Kelvin Benjamin