Mike Vanderjagt accused of assualting a student [Merge]

MTC · May 25, 2012

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/05/25/mike-vanderjagt-investigated-for-grabbing-kid-who-taunted-him/#comments

Former NFL kicker Mike Vanderjagt has been suspended from his middle school coaching job after he was accused of grabbing and screaming at a student, apparently because the child taunted Vanderjagt over his missed field goal in the Colts’ loss to the Steelers in the 2005 playoffs.

Moncrief · May 25, 2012

I was just messing with him, I didn't mean to push him over the top (cries hysterically)

oldunclemark · May 25, 2012

http://profootballta...d-him/#comments

He did not do this.

Tell me he did not do this...

21isSuperman · May 25, 2012

Oh boy...

MAC · May 25, 2012

Poor guy. I tend to believe Vandy's side of the story, because any kid who would be immature enough, irresponsible enough, cruel enough, and disrespectful enough to even consider taunting a teacher in the first place, can certainly be counted upon to lie about the details as well. But I wouldn't blame Vanderjagt for reaching his limit from time to time. For a pro athlete who reached the pinnacle of his sport (and had a career that 99% of kickers coming out of college would be envious of) to have his existence reduced to a couple of simplistic and insulting catch phrases is just sickening. I can't imagine what he could ever say to defend himself that wouldn't effectively reduce him to the level of the attacker, so he has to just take it.

Now from middle school students in Florida? What were they at the time, diapered Dolphins fans? If I was him I'd either find some way to make fun of myself (if he doesn't care, then the joke would lose it's venom), or buy a deserted island.

rockywoj · May 25, 2012

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d82957d8b/article/mike-vanderjagt-suspended-from-coaching-gig?module=HP11_headline_stack

21isSuperman · May 25, 2012

Poor guy. I tend to believe Vandy's side of the story, because any kid who would be immature enough, irresponsible enough, cruel enough, and disrespectful enough to even consider taunting a teacher in the first place, can certainly be counted upon to lie about the details as well. But I wouldn't blame Vanderjagt for reaching his limit from time to time. For a pro athlete who reached the pinnacle of his sport (and had a career that 99% of kickers coming out of college would be envious of) to have his existence reduced to a couple of simplistic and insulting catch phrases is just sickening. I can't imagine what he could ever say to defend himself that wouldn't effectively reduce him to the level of the attacker, so he has to just take it.
Now from middle school students in Florida? What were they at the time, diapered Dolphins fans? If I was him I'd either find some way to make fun of myself (if he doesn't care, then the joke would lose it's venom), or buy a deserted island.

While I agree with your premise that the child should not have said anything to start with, Vandy should have kept his cool. He should know that people will taunt him for it just like they will taunt Bill Buckner, just like Tracy Porter might taunt Peyton, just like people will taunt Chris Webber. It's a part of the game. He should know that kids will do stupid things and it will probably be brought up. There is no excuse for laying your hands on a student, in my opinion

Smonroe · May 25, 2012

http://www.nfl.com/n..._headline_stack

Not defending Vanderjagt because no adult should ever lay hands on a kid, no matter what he's saying. But those kids sound like real jerks, if I were their parents I wouldn't be too proud of them.

Andy · May 25, 2012

This guy never seems to do the right thing...

indyhawk · May 25, 2012

Not defending Vanderjagt because no adult should ever lay hands on a kid, no matter what he's saying. But those kids sound like real jerks, if I were their parents I wouldn't be too proud of them.

Absolutely agree. I had the opportunity to volunteer at my daughter's Junior High at a school music event, and was shocked at how mouthy and disrespectful her peers were to their teachers and parent helpers. Middle school kids seem to have all the facial gestures and "dissing" comebacks that one hears on popular TV shows, but with no knowledge of appropriate usage (which is very rare) or understanding. It was an incredibly sad and disconcerting thing to witness firsthand, and even though I helped to create a more respectful atmosphere, the whole scene made me quite depressed that evening. Being a volunteer coach in youth football, soccer and baseball myself, I can just imagine the soccer scene, and even though Mike needed to show more control, my heart goes out to him for having to go through being mocked by a middle school punk who will more than likely never come close to accomplishing even a small percentage of the success that Mike did in his career as a pro athlete. Troubling times, my friends, troubling times.

Vance · May 25, 2012

Yeah well, middle schoolers are pretty much the most heartless human beings on the planet. So, I don't blame him.

Smonroe · May 25, 2012

Absolutely agree. I had the opportunity to volunteer at my daughter's Junior High at a school music event, and was shocked at how mouthy and disrespectful her peers were to their teachers and parent helpers. Middle school kids seem to have all the facial gestures and "dissing" comebacks that one hears on popular TV shows, but with no knowledge of appropriate usage (which is very rare) or understanding. It was an incredibly sad and disconcerting thing to witness firsthand, and even though I helped to create a more respectful atmosphere, the whole scene made me quite depressed that evening. Being a volunteer coach in youth football, soccer and baseball myself, I can just imagine the soccer scene, and even though Mike needed to show more control, my heart goes out to him for having to go through being mocked by a middle school punk who will more than likely never come close to accomplishing even a small percentage of the success that Mike did in his career as a pro athlete. Troubling times, my friends, troubling times.

Yep. No matter what he did in his career, those kids should show respect to an adult. He apparently has a child or children at that school, and you know he was helping out for no pay.

Like you said, he should have had more control, even if it was his version of the story. He shouldn't have even acknowledged the ignorant mouthy kid. But any teacher or adult who heard it should have told the kid to show some respect. I just hope the kids parents do the right thing and don't encourage that behavior.

trsean · May 25, 2012

Eh, kid needs a swift kick arseways. I'll take Vandy's side of the story that he was just holding the kid by his shoulder. Seems like a bunch of * to me.

Though, the visual...if he DID choke the kid...had to be priceless.

braveheartcolt · May 25, 2012

I have a very reliable eye witness who said he did indeed only touch the kid's left shoulder. However, he was aiming for the throat.....

Fx Stryker · May 25, 2012

It was wide right. :scratch:

* kids probably have no idea what happened. That was a terrible game, but I don't blame Vandy or anyone else on that team.

Buck Showalter · May 25, 2012

Totally a Kenny Powers move...

Buck Showalter · May 25, 2012

Watched too many episodes of Eastbound & Down... Pulled a Kenny Powers...

Peytonparker · May 25, 2012

It was wide right.
* kids probably have no idea what happened. That was a terrible game, but I don't blame Vandy or anyone else on that team.

How can you not blame Vanderjagt?

Fx Stryker · May 25, 2012

How can you not blame Vanderjagt?

He's made a hundred field goals for us. He missed a total of three playoff field goals in the playoffs. That one is the only one that counted for something.

I think it's only fair to remember him for the 217 made fields goals instead of the 30 missed.

Buck Showalter · May 25, 2012

He's made a hundred field goals for us. He missed a total of three playoff field goals in the playoffs. That one is the only one that counted for something.
I think it's only fair to remember him for the 217 made fields goals instead of the 30 missed.

I think people remember him for his bad attitude & supposed drunken rants more than anyhting else now...

I miss deaner...

Peytonparker · May 25, 2012

He's made a hundred field goals for us. He missed a total of three playoff field goals in the playoffs. That one is the only one that counted for something.
I think it's only fair to remember him for the 217 made fields goals instead of the 30 missed.

He was an * who didnt know he was just a kicker and didnt know to keep his mouth shut. Also that was a huge miss and it wasnt even close

Dtman513 · May 25, 2012

Sounds like he has sour grapes from when he blew it in the AFC Divisional of 2006....

MAC · May 26, 2012

Sounds like he has sour grapes from when he blew it in the AFC Divisional of 2006....

HE has sour grapes? The point is that people judge his entire career on one kick. He's sour because of the way he is treated, not because of missing a kick. He was a tremendous asset to the Colts (and in the CFL), and people reduce him to a joke. How would you feel if it was you?

MAC · May 26, 2012

I think people remember him for his bad attitude & supposed drunken rants more than anyhting else now...

He was an * who didnt know he was just a kicker and didnt know to keep his mouth shut. Also that was a huge miss and it wasnt even close

The entire basis of the "drunken rants" nonsense is a single inaccurate comment made by Peyton, who later clarified it. Vanderjagt is NOT a problem drinker.

He also didn't have an attitude problem, he just made the occasional unfortunate comment. He was a "character" in very much the same way that the much adored Pat McAfee is a character, while being a FAR more successful and important part of the team. If McAfee hits a punt a little short in a playoff game allowing a return that sets up a wining score should he be run out of town, turned into a joke, and have his entire career reduced to that one play? A 46 yard field goal isn't a chip shot - when your season comes down to that you are rolling the dice. The fact that he missed doesn't change the fact that he is one of the best kickers in the history of the sport. Did anyone have a problem with him the season when he didn't miss a single kick (including the playoffs). The way he is regarded and treated is nothing less than offensive.

MAC · May 26, 2012

While I agree with your premise that the child should not have said anything to start with, Vandy should have kept his cool. He should know that people will taunt him for it just like they will taunt Bill Buckner, just like Tracy Porter might taunt Peyton, just like people will taunt Chris Webber. It's a part of the game. He should know that kids will do stupid things and it will probably be brought up. There is no excuse for laying your hands on a student, in my opinion

Did he lose his cool? I didn't see that in the article. It's been a long time since I was in middle school, and I don't have kids, but I have no problem with an adult putting a hand on a child's shoulder while talking to him. The child clearly needed to be spoken to. The fact that any physical contact what-so-ever now implies that there is something wrong with the adult rather than the child sadly contributes to the "inmates are running the asylum" attitude.

21isSuperman · May 26, 2012

Did he lose his cool? I didn't see that in the article. It's been a long time since I was in middle school, and I don't have kids, but I have no problem with an adult putting a hand on a child's shoulder while talking to him. The child clearly needed to be spoken to. The fact that any physical contact what-so-ever now implies that there is something wrong with the adult rather than the child sadly contributes to the "inmates are running the asylum" attitude.

According to the link on NFL.com, he grabbed the kid by the throat. That crosses a line. If he just put his hand on the kid's shoulder and told him to cool it, that's fine. But to grab a kid by the throat is far too much

MAC · May 26, 2012

According to the link on NFL.com, he grabbed the kid by the throat. That crosses a line. If he just put his hand on the kid's shoulder and told him to cool it, that's fine. But to grab a kid by the throat is far too much

Oh sure, that goes without saying. My starting premise was that I was assuming that Vanderjagts version was correct, and that the juvenile delinquent was lying. If they find bruising around the kids neck then he should be arrested.

Fx Stryker · May 26, 2012

We all know kids are liars. If he actually did it the charges wouldn't have been dropped.

Hoosier · May 26, 2012

Poor guy. I tend to believe Vandy's side of the story, because any kid who would be immature enough, irresponsible enough, cruel enough, and disrespectful enough to even consider taunting a teacher in the first place, can certainly be counted upon to lie about the details as well. But I wouldn't blame Vanderjagt for reaching his limit from time to time. For a pro athlete who reached the pinnacle of his sport (and had a career that 99% of kickers coming out of college would be envious of) to have his existence reduced to a couple of simplistic and insulting catch phrases is just sickening.

If the whole thing even happened, I agree the kid is probably a grade-a punk.

However, we are talking about the same guy who went on Letterman and put salt in everyone's wound by making a big joke out of it.

MAC · May 26, 2012

If the whole thing even happened, I agree the kid is probably a grade-a punk.
However, we are talking about the same guy who went on Letterman and put salt in everyone's wound by making a big joke out of it.

Depends on your perspective I guess. I had no problems with the Letterman appearance (not that I bothered to watch it). Letterman is a huge Colts fan for one thing - I somehow doubt that he considered it to be putting "salt in everyone's wound". That's actually considered to be laughing at yourself, which I previously suggested that Vanderjagt would have been better served to do more often.

People act as if Vanderjagt intentionally betrayed them. He missed a kick. It happens a lot. Probably about 30-35% of the time for kicks of that length. I could point out dozens of things about that game which bothered me more - such as the entire team coming out flat in the first quarter and losing the game right there. Such as Harper letting a domestic squabble turn into a problem for all of us, such as the nightmare with Dungy's son. People forget that if not for one of the worst calls in playoff history the Colts wouldn't have even had the opportunity to make the kick in the first place (it would have seriously tainted a Colts victory). The game was "over' a dozen different ways before that kick was even attempted. People blame Vandy because they find it easier to blame one target who they personally don't happen to like in the first place, than it is to simply say "the Colts blew it - again!". (And by the way, that was the third year in a row that the team that beat them went on the win the Super Bowl. Don't dismiss the possibility that they were simply outplayed).

WSO · May 26, 2012

Came in expecting someone to post a joke about him shanking the student

left disappointed

Poster X · May 26, 2012

Eh, kid needs a swift kick arseways. I'll take Vandy's side of the story that he was just holding the kid by his shoulder. Seems like a bunch of * to me.
Though, the visual...if he DID choke the kid...had to be priceless.

Leave it up to Mike Vanderjagt to give them a swift kick and he would probably miss their "arseways," dude... Who does this guy think he is Bob Knight?!?

Keith L. Scott · May 27, 2012

Well we know he didn't kick the kid.. because if he did he would have missed.

Nadine · May 27, 2012

http://www.nfl.com/n..._headline_stack

So no charges were filed by the States Att office.

But apparently the local police were convinced he grabbed the student by the throat.

No matter how annoying a child is, you do not grab them by the throat.

If Vandy did this, he, like others...........should be relieved of his position with the school district.

He admits to being tired of the taunting and that is why he approached the student at all. That was a poor choice.

Certainly the kids were being intentionally disrespectful but, wouldn't an adult, an employee have other options for dealing with the disrespectful behavior?

I also agree that Vanderjagt has had some really unfair things happen to him. I have sympathy for him in that regard.

But, you just do not lay hands on a child.

KarlKuffs · May 27, 2012

lol at all the Vanderjagt apologists in this thread.

That one kick that he missed in the playoffs (by about 20 yards in an f'ing indoor stadium) was more important than all of those meaningless, low pressure regular season field goals that he made when we were winning games by 2-3 touchdowns. There are dozens of kickers who would have made the same field goals that Vanderjagt made. He was a professional kicker, you know. No credit for doing what he is paid to do. Fact of the matter is the one time we truly needed him to make a kick, the one time he could have seperated himself and done something that not every other kicker can do, and the "most accurate kicker in the history of the NFL" completely crapped his pants.

None of this is to mention his chokejob in the 2000 playoffs against Miami, either. Or his chokejob against Tampa Bay in 2003 where he got bailed out by a bogus penalty. Or his chokejob against New England in 2004 on MNF.

And don't you people wonder why the most accurate kicker in the history of the NFL barely got a sniff after the Colts released him? It's because he was a proven choke artist with an attitude problem.

jvan1973 · May 27, 2012

The entire basis of the "drunken rants" nonsense is a single inaccurate comment made by Peyton, who later clarified it. Vanderjagt is NOT a problem drinker.
He also didn't have an attitude problem, he just made the occasional unfortunate comment. He was a "character" in very much the same way that the much adored Pat McAfee is a character, while being a FAR more successful and important part of the team. If McAfee hits a punt a little short in a playoff game allowing a return that sets up a wining score should he be run out of town, turned into a joke, and have his entire career reduced to that one play? A 46 yard field goal isn't a chip shot - when your season comes down to that you are rolling the dice. The fact that he missed doesn't change the fact that he is one of the best kickers in the history of the sport. Did anyone have a problem with him the season when he didn't miss a single kick (including the playoffs). The way he is regarded and treated is nothing less than offensive.

I think the biggest problem i have with him is his appearance on Letterman. He went out and nailed a 46 yarder in jeans, He seemed to think the whole ordeal was funny. He was a good kicker at one point, but he was never clutch. The comeback against tampa was almost ruined if not for a very weird leaping penalty that allowed him to re kick. And even the 2nd one bounced off the upright and went in...

MAC · May 27, 2012

I think the biggest problem i have with him is his appearance on Letterman. He went out and nailed a 46 yarder in jeans, He seemed to think the whole ordeal was funny. He was a good kicker at one point, but he was never clutch. The comeback against tampa was almost ruined if not for a very weird leaping penalty that allowed him to re kick. And even the 2nd one bounced off the upright and went in...

I think that the guy has some personality defect (don't we all) but it's probably a self-confidence problem which he compensates for by sticking his chest out and making brash comments. Deon Sanders is beloved for worse nonsense than that, but a kicker for some reason isn't allowed to do it. While it irritates a lot of people, I don't think that it's a reflection of who he really is. I saw an article in which Edgerin James described him as laid back, and one of his best friends on the team. I feel bad for the guy for the way he is perceived.

I'm not sure why he went on Letterman (I'm sure that the kick was the writers idea), but I'd be willing to bet anything that he didn't think the ordeal was funny. The one thing that he actually did "wrong" in the game that we should have a right to get angry about was throw his helmet in anger after the miss - which got a penalty. He never did that previously - I hardly think that he thought anything about the situation was funny. On the contrary, the entire basis of Letterman's "shtick" is ironic, anarchic, self-deprecating humor. I would be willing to bet that he was trying to make fun of himself - not taunt the fans. If he was who the fans think he is he would have had his head in the sand at that point, or blaming the holder or something. Instead he let a national tv audience laugh at his failure, and he laughed with them.

He wasn't just a good kicker at one point, he was a phenomenal kicker for a very long time. "Never clutch"? At the time of the Pittsburgh miss he had the highest conversion % in game winning/tying field goals in the league. The TB game you are focusing on was in the middle of a season in which he became the first kicker ever to not miss for an entire year. (And by the way, I believe that the second one was blocked. You should credit Vandy for muscling it through regardless). Anyone remember the Denver game in the snow? Why do people only remember the misses? My favorite response to this argument is to point out that on at least two of the occasions in which Adam V hit game winning playoff kicks, he had missed much easier kicks early in the game. If the guy had just done his job when he was supposed to the last second dramatics - for which is he famous - wouldn't have been necessary in the first place. In other words, much of Vinatieri and Brady's "legend" was built on his FAILURE to hit a couple of chip shots. Ironic isn't it. But Vinny is cherished and Vandy is spit on. Frankly I'd prefer the later on my team any day.

Buck Showalter · May 29, 2012

Vinny is cherished and Vandy is spit on. Frankly I'd prefer the later on my team any day.

I don't love Vinny in fact when Grigson cleaned house I wish he would have been released as well...

I still think Vanderjagt will be remembered by more fans for his misses than his accuracy%, it may not be right, but such is life...

carmelcolt · May 30, 2012

"laces out Dan!"

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Mike Vanderjagt accused of assualting a student [Merge]

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