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48 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, January 27, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Opportunities Moving to Southern Oregon? MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend June 8, 2004 Former Oregon football star and NFL cornerback Alex Molden,left, signs an autograph for fan Jerry Bassett of Central Point. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Vanderjagt gets a kick out of celebrity golf tourney By DON HUNT Mail Tribune EAGLE POINT — He stood on the practice tee at Eagle Point Golf Course Monday hammering towering drives that measured at least 300 yards. One after another they rocketed off the tee, long and straight. The former high school quarterback and current Indianapolis Colts placekicker then stepped back and signed autographs for a handful of middle school kids at the Chad Cota Celebrity Shootout golf tournament. Mike Vanderjagt was here to relax, rub elbows with fellow athletes, intermingle with fans and help out his good friend Cota raise money for local sports programs. Vanderjagt wasn’t here to win the tournament, he said, but with his athleticism and competitive spirit that have made him one of the premier kickers in the NFL — along with his 6-handicap — he figured to be in the hunt. Vanderjagt put in his bid as the NFL’s top kicker last season when he achieved perfection — going 46-for-46 on extra-point attempts and 37-for- 37 on field-goal tries. Advertisement "It was one of those once-in-a-lifetime seasons where everything went right," said Vanderjagt, 34, who has spent the past seven seasons with the Colts following three years in the Canadian Football League. "And there was some luck involved." The good fortune came when two of Vanderjagt’s field goals hit the uprights and then caromed through. Then there was the memorable Monday Night game in Tampa Bay when the Colts rallied from a 21-point deficit with four minutes to play and rallied for a 38-35 overtime victory. Vanderjagt missed a 40-yard field goal in that game but Tampa Bay was whistled for a penalty. Given a reprieve, he connected from 35 yards out to keep his streak intact and eventually broke Gary Anderson’s NFL record for consecutive field goals made. The old record was 37; Vanderjagt’s streak has reached 41 straight dating to the 2002 season. "It’s almost impossible to make them all," said Vanderjagt, who towers over most kickers with his 6-foot-5, 215-pound frame. "But I’ve learned what makes me miss and I’ve taken steps to correct those little flaws." Vanderjagt, who was a high school quarterback while growing up in Toronto, Canada, said he has also learned to relax in the pressure cooker of NFL kicking. "I’ve learned to enjoy the moment rather than fear the situation," he said. "It’s a lot easier on my nerves." Vanderjagt’s competitive nature spilled out following a playoff loss to end the 2002 season when he criticized Colts quarterback Peyton Manning for not showing enough emotion. Manning shot back, saying it was "unfortunate that a kicker got liquored up and ran his mouth." Vanderjagt said the feud was blown out of proportion. "We talked out our differences the next day and it was no big deal to us," said Vanderjagt, who is making his first visit to Oregon. "We’re friends. We spend time at each other’s homes." Other active NFL players at the fund-raising tournament Monday were linebacker Peter Sirmon of the Tennessee Titans, punter Josh Bidwell of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and defensive back Alex Molden, a free agent. Other celebrities included Professional Bowlers Association star Pete Weber, former PBA standout Marshall Holman, former University of Oregon and pro football quarterback Chris Miller and ex-major league slugger Gorman Thomas. Molden, who played with Cota on the Ducks’ 1995 Rose Bowl squad, has played eight seasons in the NFL with three different teams. He was cut by the Detroit Lions last season but has been in contact with several teams this spring, including San Francisco and Oakland. "I was banged up last year but I’m healthy now and I feel like I can still play," Molden said. "There’s always a need for veteran cornerbacks in the NFL. I’m just waiting for my window of opportunity." Molden recently bought a high school recruiting service business in San Diego and plans to work in it full-time once he retires. Miller, who played 10 seasons in the NFL before a series of concussions led to an early retirement, owns a sports nutrition company in Eugene. He’s also the head coach of the South Eugene High football team. He led the school to the state playoffs last season for the first time in a decade. "It’s a blast," Miller said of coaching. Thomas was one of the top sluggers in baseball during the late 1970s and early ‘80s. He led the American League in home runs (45) and RBIs (123) during the 1982 season when he helped the Milwaukee Brewers to the World Series, where they lost in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals. For a five- year stretch beginning in 1978, Thomas averaged 35 homers and 98 RBIs. Thomas still does PR work for the Brewers, where he spent 10 of his 13 major league seasons. "I was told point-blank by my manger to hit the ball out of the park," said Thomas, who hit 268 career home runs but carried a career batting average of just .225. "I wasn’t going to hit like Robin Yount or George Brett, but I had good power and I used it to my advantage." Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune. 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