Vanderjagt, Colts had issues - but there are no hard feelings
By David Moore
The Dallas Morning News
INDIANAPOLIS - The idiot kicker who got liquored up and questioned the leadership of his quarterback and head coach faces his former team Sunday.
If there are hard feelings, no one is talking about them.
Mike Vanderjagt hasn't been his usual, boastful self. Earlier this season, he conceded that the Cowboys' game against Indianapolis was circled on his calendar. But in recent days, he has kept a low profile around Valley Ranch and refused interview requests on the game from the Dallas and Indianapolis media.
In Vanderjagt's former city, Colts coach Tony Dungy called the kicker one of his favorite guys. Adam Vinatieri, the kicker who replaced him, said he's looking forward to seeing his friend at Texas Stadium.
Even quarterback Peyton Manning, who issued the "idiot kicker" line and wondered about Vanderjagt's sobriety at the time of the kicker's comments four years ago, was in a conciliatory mood.
"Somebody asked me if I feel fortunate to say I played with two of the best kickers of all time," Manning said. "I really have.
"Mike was a huge part of our success here. People talk about all of our fourth-quarter comebacks. I mean, only one or two of those resulted in me having to score a touchdown. I lose count of how many game-winning kicks he made for us and come-from-behind victories he had for us."
Vanderjagt's identity as the most accurate kicker in NFL history was created in his eight seasons with the Colts. There were more highs than lows.
But after a 41-0 playoff loss to the New York Jets ended the Colts' 2002 season, Vanderjagt went on Canadian television and said Dungy and Manning lacked the intensity and emotion needed to lead the franchise. Manning's entertaining retort was delivered in a sideline interview during the Pro Bowl.
The three, to use Dungy's words, worked through the incident. The coach said Vanderjagt's penchant for speaking his mind was never a problem other than that episode. Manning intends to talk to Vanderjagt when the two are on the field warming up before Sunday's game.
In some ways, the Colts were more complimentary of Vanderjagt this week than the Cowboys.
Bill Parcells praised his kicker at Valley Ranch on Wednesday afternoon, telling the local media he's happy with how Vanderjagt has been hitting the ball recently and believes he's found his groove. Moments later, Parcells was asked about Vanderjagt on a conference call with the Indianapolis media.
"He's been OK," Parcells responded. He then brushed off a follow-up question about the kicker with a one-word answer.
That's the way you would expect most Colts fans to respond. Vanderjagt's last kick for Indianapolis was a 46-yard attempt that wobbled wide right with 17 seconds left, sealing the team's playoff loss to Pittsburgh.
"That's not how I describe him as a kicker," Manning said. "I describe him as clutch of a kicker as there was.
"Players on this team and players who played against him know how consistent a guy he was and how many big kicks he made."
Vanderjagt would like nothing better than to make a big kick Sunday.
"The game may be pretty sentimental to him for obvious reasons," said Vinatieri, who helped the Colts beat New England - his team for his first 10 NFL seasons - two weeks ago.
"But for me and this team, we're just going to go down there and try to get a win."
The Dallas Morning News
INDIANAPOLIS - The idiot kicker who got liquored up and questioned the leadership of his quarterback and head coach faces his former team Sunday.
If there are hard feelings, no one is talking about them.
Mike Vanderjagt hasn't been his usual, boastful self. Earlier this season, he conceded that the Cowboys' game against Indianapolis was circled on his calendar. But in recent days, he has kept a low profile around Valley Ranch and refused interview requests on the game from the Dallas and Indianapolis media.
In Vanderjagt's former city, Colts coach Tony Dungy called the kicker one of his favorite guys. Adam Vinatieri, the kicker who replaced him, said he's looking forward to seeing his friend at Texas Stadium.
Even quarterback Peyton Manning, who issued the "idiot kicker" line and wondered about Vanderjagt's sobriety at the time of the kicker's comments four years ago, was in a conciliatory mood.
"Somebody asked me if I feel fortunate to say I played with two of the best kickers of all time," Manning said. "I really have.
"Mike was a huge part of our success here. People talk about all of our fourth-quarter comebacks. I mean, only one or two of those resulted in me having to score a touchdown. I lose count of how many game-winning kicks he made for us and come-from-behind victories he had for us."
Vanderjagt's identity as the most accurate kicker in NFL history was created in his eight seasons with the Colts. There were more highs than lows.
But after a 41-0 playoff loss to the New York Jets ended the Colts' 2002 season, Vanderjagt went on Canadian television and said Dungy and Manning lacked the intensity and emotion needed to lead the franchise. Manning's entertaining retort was delivered in a sideline interview during the Pro Bowl.
The three, to use Dungy's words, worked through the incident. The coach said Vanderjagt's penchant for speaking his mind was never a problem other than that episode. Manning intends to talk to Vanderjagt when the two are on the field warming up before Sunday's game.
In some ways, the Colts were more complimentary of Vanderjagt this week than the Cowboys.
Bill Parcells praised his kicker at Valley Ranch on Wednesday afternoon, telling the local media he's happy with how Vanderjagt has been hitting the ball recently and believes he's found his groove. Moments later, Parcells was asked about Vanderjagt on a conference call with the Indianapolis media.
"He's been OK," Parcells responded. He then brushed off a follow-up question about the kicker with a one-word answer.
That's the way you would expect most Colts fans to respond. Vanderjagt's last kick for Indianapolis was a 46-yard attempt that wobbled wide right with 17 seconds left, sealing the team's playoff loss to Pittsburgh.
"That's not how I describe him as a kicker," Manning said. "I describe him as clutch of a kicker as there was.
"Players on this team and players who played against him know how consistent a guy he was and how many big kicks he made."
Vanderjagt would like nothing better than to make a big kick Sunday.
"The game may be pretty sentimental to him for obvious reasons," said Vinatieri, who helped the Colts beat New England - his team for his first 10 NFL seasons - two weeks ago.
"But for me and this team, we're just going to go down there and try to get a win."
posted by The Gryphon at 6:24 PM
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