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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Thursday, February 16, 2012 · 22 Vanderjagt's career featured plenty of ups and downs Continued from page 23 from the rooftops. "Growing up, if you said I'd end up in the Oakville Sports Hall of Fame, I'd have said thank you very much. It certainly is an honour." It's also an opportunity to Vanderjagt to reflect on how it began and to remember local people who helped him develop into one of the best place-kickers in football history, making 230 of 266 field-goal attempts (86.5 per cent) in his NFL career. Vanderjagt recalls White Oaks football coach Al Tanner, who guided the Wildcats to a couple Halton championships while Vanderjagt quarterbacked the team in the 1980s. "I think I only lost two games as a quarterback, 23-2 or something like that," Vanderjagt said. "It was a lot of fun." But, as Vanderjagt eventually discovered, his greater football talents were in kicking the ball, not throwing it. Not that kicking balls was foreign to Vanderjagt. As a teen, he was also an excellent soccer player. As a 6-foot-5 keeper, he drew interest from the Canadian national under18 program before being one of the team's final cuts. "And our rep team went to Europe a couple times," Vanderjagt said. "Most definitely, the Oakville Soccer Club (was a big help). Phil Iafrati coached me. I certainly give him a lot of credit." Forced to choose between soccer and football, Vanderjagt opted for the latter because he felt football gave him more professional opportunities. He also had landed a football scholarship from Michigan State University, which recruit- cal comments about Colts quarterback Peyton Manning ed him as both a quarterback and a punter. and coach Tony Dungy, Vanderjagt badly missed a potential Vanderjagt's NCAA career was a bit of a turbulent one. game-tying field goal in the final minute of a 2005 playoff He left Michigan State after one year to attend a commu- loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He went to Dallas the folnity college in California, where he quarterbacked, punted lowing season and was released by the Cowboys a couple and place-kicked for the team. He returned months later. to Division 1 a couple seasons later to kick "It's a pretty crazy story Vanderjagt's last season of professional for West Virginia University. football was spent with the Argos in 2008, that I take pride in. I And making his mark in professional marking an early end to his career considjust never gave up. I football wasn't easy, either. Vanderjagt actuering many place-kickers have played into ally missed an 18-yard field goal one year in guess having a full-time their 40s. tryouts for the Toronto Argonauts and didn't job behind a desk never There were rumours as recently as last land a regular job in the CFL until 1996. year that Vanderjagt wanted to make a really appealed to me. Once he got his full-time opportunity, So I kept going and comeback to the NFL, but he said that's not the case anymore. Vanderjagt made the most of it. He was a going and going." perfect 9-for-9 in field goal attempts in the "It was maybe a five to 10 per cent 1996 and 1997 Grey Cups, and led the CFL thought of wanting to play again. Now, I Former NFL kicker really don't," Vanderjagt said. "I have a in punting average in 1997. That helped Mike Vanderjagt 12-year-old boy (Jay) who is a great quarhim land a contract with the NFL's terback, and I think he's headed down the Indianapolis Colts, with whom he led the NFL in scoring in 1999 and was perfect on all field-goal right path. These days, I just want to be Jay Vanderjagt's attempts (40) and converts (58) in the 2003 regular season dad. I don't want to be Mike Vanderjagt anymore." But he does hope, if not expect, that the Oakville Sports and playoffs. He also set an NFL record by making good on Hall of Fame won't be the only recognition for his career. 42 consecutive field-goal attempts. "I think I'm deserving of all of them, the Canadian and "It's a pretty crazy story that I take pride in. I just never gave up," Vanderjagt said. "I guess having a full-time job the NFL (halls of fame)," Vanderjagt said. "Halls of fame are behind a desk never really appealed to me. So I kept going meant to be for the best at what you do. Well, I don't think there's many better field-goal kickers in the history of footand going and going." Of course, Vanderjagt's NFL career ended unceremoni- ball, really. If that's what halls of fame are for, then I think ously enough. A few years after coming under fire for criti- I deserve to be in them." Zeron's recognition not just Table talk limited to horse-racing world By Jon Kuiperij BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR Rick Zeron always knew he was highly regarded by his horse racing peers. Now he knows he's also well-respected by those outside of the sport. "I never imagined in my wildest dreams I'd be in the Oakville Sports Hall of Fame," said the 55-year-old Zeron, who will be officially inducted into the Oakville hall tonight (Thursday) along with Kara Lang, Michael (Pinball) Clemons and Mike Vanderjagt. "I'm so happy about being recognized, not within the racing industry, but outside of it... Everyone lives within their own world of what they do. For me to be recognized outside of my world of harness racing is unbelievable." Zeron's career achievements certainly seem to warrant his induction. He's racked up more than 7,400 victories as a driver and 2,000 more as a trainer, and is approaching $100 million in earnings as a driver. But horse racing doesn't have the exposure or the following of mainstream sports like hockey, football or soccer. That means Zeron hasn't received the notoriety that someone who dominates a sport for so long might otherwise enjoy, but he says that's never bothered him. "I'm quite happy. I've got a great crew of people behind me, and in the racing industry I'm very well recognized," said Zeron, an Ottawa native who moved to Oakville from Montreal in 1994. A lot of his gratification comes from the simple enjoyment of working with the horses at all levels, from owning to training to racing. "I love going to the barn in the morning," he said. "This day and age, there are people who train horses and people who drive horses. I do both. I own them, I drive them, I train them. It's very satisfying for me. I stay active all day along, and I think that's what keeps me young." Zeron lists winning the Maple Leaf Trot and the Trotting Classic as major highlights of his career, along with the enjoyment of developing yearlings into champions. He has set 8,000 career driving wins and $100 million in purses as career goals, and said he plans to continue racing for at least five more years. Once he retires from racing, Zeron is likely to be honoured once again, this time with induction into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame. "They told me they were thinking about it three years ago, but they said I was too active to be in the Hall," Zeron said. "When it comes to be my time... I'll back off and just do the training." ERIC RIEHL / OAKVILLE BEAVER HISTORIC FURNITURE: Tom Robus (left) and Doug Ball show off the unique table they made and donated to the silent auction at tonight's (Thursday's) Oakville Sports Hall of Fame dinner. The table was made out of wood from the door of an 1800's barn on the driving range of Vic Hadfield, the former NHLer who was one of the first inductees into the Oakville Sports Hall of Fame. Proceeds from the sale of the table, which is autgraphed by Hadfield, will go to the Hall.