Former NFL Kicker Mike Vanderjagt Allegedly Grabbed a Kid For Taunting Him

Mike Vanderjagt reportedly grabbed a middle school student who had been taunting him over a missed field goal, and the incident ended with Vanderjagt being suspended from his volunteer coaching job.

Vanderjagt is still number two all time in NFL history in field goal percentage. He's also remembered for missing a kick that kept the Indianapolis Colts from tying up a game with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2005 playoffs. According to ProFootballTalk.com, Vanderjagt said the student had been taunting him for months about the miss when he couldn't take it anymore.

According the police report, the student was chanting "wide left, wide left" at Vanderjagt. The kick was actually wide right, but that's not the point. Vanderjagt says he only put his hand on the base of the kid's neck on his shoulders to tell him to knock it off.

The dean of the middle school, in Marco Island, Florida, called the police after being told about the incident, which was describe as Vanderjagt grabbing a student by the throat.

Vanderjagt has apparently apologized to the kid in question, and his parents, but was suspended from his volunteer soccer coaching gig. Police forwarded the report to the state attorney, who declined to press charges.

The principal of the school will decide if Vanderjagt will be reinstated to his coaching duties.

Article by Eric Gray

via ProFootballTalk.com