Prior to the NFL, Vanderjagt played four seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL), three with the Toronto Argonauts and one with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Vanderjagt retired as the NFL's most accurate field goal kicker at 86.5%, which is the ninth-highest completion percentage in league history.

[1][2] Vanderjagt attended White Oaks Secondary School, where he was a four sport athlete (football, basketball, track, and soccer).

Vanderjagt punted and played quarterback for AHC until returning to Division I football, as solely a punter and placekicker, at West Virginia University for the 1991 and 1992 seasons.

In his final season he was switched to placekicker, ranking third in field goals made (15) and fourth in points scored (72) in the Big East Conference.

In a 2000 playoff game against Miami, Vanderjagt successfully converted a 50-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, but missed a 49-yard attempt in overtime.

[5] In 2003, Vanderjagt became the first kicker in the league's history to go an entire season, including the playoffs, without missing a field goal or point-after attempt.

(In 1998, Minnesota kicker Gary Anderson was perfect in the regular season, but missed a field goal attempt in the playoffs.)

He did, however, miss a potential game tying 51-yard field goal in that season's Pro Bowl with three seconds left in a 55–52 loss to the NFC.

But he also had considerably fewer field goal chances that season (25), as the Colts offense scored 61 touchdowns (nearly four per game), with Peyton Manning throwing a then NFL record 49 TD passes.

Walking off the field after the kick, he took off his helmet and threw it to the ground in anger (which cost his team a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty).

[7] Rumors quickly spread that Vanderjagt would be released by the Cowboys before the start of the regular season, after head coach Bill Parcells was quoted saying, "I think he has been a good kicker.

"[8] However, he remained on the roster, when the team was forced to keep backup kicker Shaun Suisham for the first game of the season against the Jacksonville Jaguars.