Retired NFL kicker who lives in Orleans brings message to Job Corps students

Photos by Loretta Clark: Mike Vanderjagt, a former kicker with the Indianapolis Colts, signed autographs Monday for students during his visit to the Iroquois Job Corps Center.

MEDINA – The Iroquois Job Corps Center hosted a very special guest on Monday, who brought an inspiring message to students, said Operations Manager John Thomas.

Mike Vanderjagt, a retired NFL kicker and a former first-team all-pro, toured the center and spoke with students and staff.

Vanderjagt has moved to the Lyndonville area, and has been mentoring young athletes, serving as the special teams coach for the Medina High School football team. He had attended a Medina Rotary meeting, where John Thomas met him and set up his visit to the Job Corps Center.

Vanderjagt’s message to students was about believing in themselves and to never give up on their dreams and goals in life. He shared the many challenges he had trying to get to the NFL, and was told he was not good enough. He said he believed in himself, and never gave up.

In 1998, he was signed by the Indianapolis Colts, and in 2003, he became the first kicker in the league’s history to go an entire season, including the playoffs, without missing a field goal or extra point.

Vanderjagt scored 1,067 points in a nine-year career during the regular season, including a league high 145 for the Colts in 1999. He scored 54 more points in nine playoff games.

He played for the Colts for eight seasons and then finished his career with the Dallas Cowboys in 2006. His streak of 42 consecutive field goals is the second longest in NFL history behind 44 by Adam Vinatieri.

Vanderjagt is among the nominees for the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Mike Vanderjagt, center, record-breaking kicker in the National Football League, visited Iroquois Job Corps Center on Monday to talk to students. Here, he is presented with an appreciation award by center director Dennis Essom, left, and operations director John Thomas.