Hall of Fame kicker and former New England Patriot Adam Vinatieri nailed a game-winning, 48-yard field goal in Super Bowl XXXVI, clinching the Patriots their first-ever NFL title, which began a nearly two-decade-long dynasty.
Almost a quarter century later, rookie kicker and South Florida native and former Cane Andy Borregales looks to help jumpstart another Patriots dynasty on Sunday in Super Bowl LX against the Seattle Seahawks.
“In a perfect world, that’d mean the world to me,” Borregales told CHAMPSIDE this past week when asked how much it would mean to him to hit a Super Bowl-winning field goal. “At the end of the day, all that really matters is getting a [win] with the team because even though I know being a kicker is a very, I guess a one-man army you could say, but I like to think of it as a team thing because at the end of the day, if I didn’t have a snapper, if I didn’t have a holder, if I didn’t have a line protecting, I wouldn’t be able to do my job.”
Borregales was drafted in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft after an illustrious four-year career at Miami. With the Hurricanes, Borregales was named to the All-ACC team twice (2023, 2024) and ended his time at UM second in program history in field goals made.
In the big game, Borregales – who will become the first Venezuelan-born player to play in the Super Bowl – will face off against his former teammate and roommate, Seahawks tight end Elijah Arroyo. The two have exchanged texts with each other leading up to their matchup.
“I’ve been sending him little snarky texts here and there,” Borregales told Casz Clayton. “That was my roommate for two years, so that’s really my best friend, and to be able to say that, ‘Hey, I’m playing in the Super Bowl against my best friend,’ is definitely something that not everyone can say, but here we are.”
Borregales’ rookie season got off to a shaky start. He missed his first career field goal in his debut against the Las Vegas Raiders and missed two extra point attempts in a homecoming game in Week 2 against the Miami Dolphins.
Since then, however, Borregales has improved. He made all four of his attempts from 50-plus yards in the regular season and converted a crucial field goal in unfavorable weather conditions in the Patriots’ 10-7 win over the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game.
“That was obviously the lowest point of this season,” Borregales said to reporters about his performance against the Dolphins. “I look back and honestly I wouldn’t change a single thing. Really it’s just something you got to, I guess, growing pains you could say. You’re just going out there and learning from my mistakes, like don’t do it again, and then just from that point on just have fun.”
A final message from Borregales to his fans back home?
“Thank you for the support. Miami couldn’t [win a national championship], but hopefully we do it, and we’ll just keep on going.”