
From undrafted underdog to three-time Super Bowl champion to business innovator, Lonie Paxton proves that the next play can be your greatest
Lonie Paxton knows how to beat the odds—and reinvent the game.
Undrafted out of Sacramento State, Paxton joined the New England Patriots in 2000, the same year Bill Belichick arrived as head coach. Few expected the long snapper to become part of one of football’s greatest dynasties. But Paxton made every snap count.
Over 12 NFL seasons with the Patriots and Denver Broncos, he played in four Super Bowls and earned three championship rings. He delivered the snap for Adam Vinatieri’s legendary 48-yard, game-winning field goal in Super Bowl XXXVI. But fans remember another unforgettable moment: after a dramatic playoff victory in a blizzard, Paxton dropped into the snow and made an angel. Weeks later, he celebrated the Patriots’ first Super Bowl victory with another angel—this time in confetti.
Three Super Bowl rings. One legendary snow angel. And an extraordinary second act.
At GoPro, Paxton built multi-year partnerships with the NHL, PGA, and Monday Night Football; scaled an ambassador program that reached more than 150 million people; and drove activations at the Rio Olympics and Super Bowl 50, helping position GoPro as the world’s #4 consumer brand on Instagram.
Today, he is a partner at venture studio The Critical Co. and at Thrive Studios, an advisor to founders, athletes, and brands, and a board member of the High Fives Foundation. High Fives Foundation supports athletes recovering from life-changing injuries.
Funny, fearless, and refreshingly candid, Paxton shares what it takes to succeed against the odds, recover from setbacks, and reinvent yourself when the game changes. His message is as powerful in life as it is in football: Make your next play your best play.
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