It sounds like a storyline from a movie – the steely veteran on his way to NFL history loses his longtime teammates before the start of the season. Paired with a couple of rookies, he’s charged with getting them up to speed before the start of the season – in a little over a week.
Only for Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri, it was real life.
Punter Pat McAfee shocked the sports world (and the Colts) with his retirement in February. The team released veteran long snapper Matt Overton in May. After a competitive training camp and preseason, Rigoberto Sanchez, an undrafted rookie out of Hawaii beat out veteran punter Jeff Locke and second-year linebacker turned rookie long snapper Luke Rhodes won the job over Duke long snapper Thomas Hennessy.