Gostkowski played college football for the Memphis Tigers and was selected in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL draft by the Patriots, where he spent his first 14 seasons.

His teammates at Madison Central included former 49ers executive Parys Haralson and former Seahawks center Chris Spencer.

[14] While Gostkowski struggled early in his rookie season—he had two consecutive kicks blocked—his kickoffs were noticeably longer than were Vinatieri's in his last season in Foxborough.

[17] In the AFC Championship, Gostkowski again converted all of his kicks (two field goals and four extra points), and recorded two touchbacks on kickoffs against the Indianapolis Colts.

[19] Gostkowski performed admirably, making all eight of his field goal kicks; he also recorded three touchbacks, including two in the Patriots' January 21, 2007, loss to the Colts at the RCA Dome.

In Week 15, against the New York Jets, Gostkowski broke former Miami Dolphins kicker Uwe von Schamann's record for most extra points converted in a season, with his 67th successful attempt.

Gostkowski finished the season a perfect 74-for-74 on extra points, eclipsing Jeff Wilkins' 1999 record of 64-for-64 with the St. Louis Rams.

)[21] Gostkowski also went 21 for 24 on field goals to finish with 137 points on the season, the third-highest total of any player that year (rookie Green Bay kicker Mason Crosby had 141, and Patriots receiver Randy Moss had 138).

Gostkowski recorded a touchback on the kickoff, but there was confusion after the game as to whether or not the Patriots could have improved their field position by kicking the ball out-of-bounds instead.

[26] Gostkowski was a key contributor in the Patriots' 19–10 win over the New York Jets in Week 2, the game that marked Matt Cassel's debut as a starter after a season-ending injury to Tom Brady.

Gostkowski converted four field goals from 21, 37, 28, and 27 yards, and recorded touchbacks on the first five of his six kickoffs (the last kick was returned to the 20 before a Raymond Ventrone tackle).

As a result of the expiring NFL-NFLPA collective bargaining agreement, however, Gostkowski became a restricted free agent; the Patriots offered him $1,759,000 for the 2010 season.

[39] In Week 9, Gostkowski was unable to finish the Patriots' game against the Cleveland Browns after sustaining a thigh injury; he was replaced by wide receiver Wes Welker.

Three days later, on November 10, the Patriots placed Gostkowski on injured reserve with a torn quadriceps muscle, ending his season.

Gostkowski finished the injury-shortened season 10-for-13 on field goals (76.9%, tying his career low from 2006), while setting a career-high with an average kickoff distance of 67.9 yards.

Miami lost the ball on the ensuing possession, and the Patriots went on to score a touchdown of their own, closing the deficit to 17–10 en route to a 27–24 win.

[43] Gostkowski finished the season with 143 points, five short of his career high in 2007; he made 28 of 33 field goals and all 59 of his extra-point attempts.

Gostkowski was one of two kickers to score five or more points in every game in 2011 (the other was David Akers), and the third player in NFL history to manage the feat (Gary Anderson also did it in 1998).

[46] In Week 11, in the 59–24 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, he tied his career high, with eight extra points converted to go along with a 31-yard field goal.

During the Patriots' Week 5 game at AT&T Stadium versus the Dallas Cowboys, Gostkowski tied Vinatieri's franchise record kicking a 57-yard field goal to end the first half.

[61] Against the New York Giants on November 15, with only one second remaining, he kicked the game-winning 54-yard field goal to get the 27–26 win, with the Patriots staying undefeated at 9–0 on the season.

In the AFC Championship Game against the Denver Broncos, Gostkowski missed his first extra point since 2006 and only the second of his career, ending a streak of 523 consecutive successful attempts.

[66] However, Gostkowski, who also scored two field goals during the game, was defended by Patriots coach Bill Belichick and teammates Julian Edelman, Logan Ryan, Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Danny Amendola, and Malcolm Butler.

[74] Gostkowski appeared in a Pepsi commercial during the 2017 playoffs, joining the ranks of wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Antonio Brown.

[78] He broke that record in the Patriots' Week 11 game against the Oakland Raiders at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, kicking a 62-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.

[84] He set a record for most Super Bowl appearances by a kicker, at six, breaking his tie with former Patriot Adam Vinatieri.

[88] On October 2, 2019, as a result of a left hip injury he sustained, Gostkowski was placed on injured reserve for the second time in his 14-year career.

[94] Gostkowski was crucial to the Titans' Week 3 win versus the Minnesota Vikings, making all six of his field goals, including another game-winner late in the fourth quarter, this time from 55 yards out.

He did not play in the Week 17 game against the Houston Texans due to being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list and was replaced by rookie Sam Sloman.

Hallie works as a nurse at a Boston hospital and the couple lives in Wrentham, Massachusetts, with two sons as well as a daughter, who was born in 2016.