Mike Vanderjagt

Mike Vanderjagt kicked around a bit in both college and in the pros before settling in and establishing himself as one of the best kickers on either side of the Canada-US border.  In college, Vanderjagt, a native of Oakville Ontario, started his career with Michigan State where he was recruited as a Quarterback.  After one year, Vanderjagt transferred to Allan Hancock Community College in California where he also on the kicking duties.  Vanderjagt finished his college career with West Virginia where he did only the kicking.  In the pros, it took Vanderjagt's career a few years to get going as well. Vanderjagt started his career with Saskatchewan in 1993, playing just two games as a punter.  Unfortunately for Vanderjagt, the Riders still had Dave Ridgeway entrenched as their place kicker, and so Vanderjagt looked East.  He had tryout with both Toronto and Hamilton in 1994, but was released before the season started.  Vanderjagt had another tryout with Toronto in 1995, but again was released before the season started. The third time was the charm with Toronto in 1996 as Vanderjagt made the team and handled al lthe kicking (kickoff,s punts and placekicking).  Vanderjagt had 198 points in his first full season and a 71.4% success rate on his fieldgoals.  Vanderjagt followed that up in 1997 with 190 points and improved his fieldgoal percentage to 76.7%.  Vanderjaft was both an East and CFL All-Star in 1997 and led the CFL in scoring. That was enough to attract attention from the NFL, and Vanderjagt signed as a free agent with the Indianapolis Colts afte the 1997 season.  Vanderjagt became one of the top kickers in the NFL in his 8 seasons (1998-2005) with the Colts, including a record setting perfect season of 37 for 37 in fieldgoal kicking in 2003.  In his nine year NFL career, the last with Dallas in 2006, Vanderjagt hit 230 of 268 fieldgoal attempts for an 85.8% success rate - the best in NFL history. Sadly, Vanderjagt might not be remembered for his kicking prowness, but for comments he made and comments made about him after the Colts were beaten 41-0 by the New York Jets in the 2002 NFL playoffs.  Vanderjagt criticized both Colts' QB Peyton Manning and coach Tony Dungee, and Manning fired back about the "idiot kicker".  Despite  those problems, it was the folowing season, in 2003, that Vanderjagt had his perfect season.  After his release by Dallas, partway through the 2006 season, Vanderjagt couldn't find another home in the NFL, and sat out the 2007 season.  Still feeling, he wanted to play, Vanderjagt returned to the Argos and the CFL in 2008, promting the Argos to trade Noel Prefontaine to Edmonton.  Ironically, it had been Prefontaine who had replaced Vanderjagt when he went to the NFL after the 1997 season.

NFL Stats for Mike Vanderjagt