The search for Aaron Rodgers, IT'S THE BIGGEST weekend of the year in Gilroy, California, with more than 100,000 people visiting for the annual garlic festival. Once buckled, Mendez says he feels unstoppable. After a shortened 6-game spring season, that ended on April 23, it was back on the field 108 days later. Gradey Dick, a five-star Kansas commit, enjoyed one of the greatest shooting seasons in high school basketball history. Elk Grove Village, IL. ", Mendez acknowledges that his presence has had a positive impact on people. It actually came well before Mendez started coaching football. I know I'm good for the kids. But on this late July night, 30-year-old high school football coach Rob Mendez has a taste for sushi. "You don't need to apologize," Mendez says. But he hates the sidewalk. He started as a manager on his Gilroy High School team as a freshman. While he knows that day will be a life-changing experience, he remains humble. I should have a wife by now. "The Super Bowl of JV football," he says. The 14-year-old wraps his arms tightly around Mendez's back. Despite the fast changeover, coaches and players are ready for a full 9-game season. I ask whether that thought bothers him. College Football Prospect ID events are the first premier event following the 2022 high school and college football seasons. "I use my neck like my arm," Mendez says. He learned to press the buttons with his chin and collarbone. In his chair, he is constantly shifting, twisting and adjusting his posture. The more successful Mendez is at proving he's just like everyone else, the more people put him on that pedestal, peg him as an inspiration and treat him, well, different from everyone else. Three other players start chitchatting between reps. Mendez loses it. Preston Gannaway for ESPN I swear. So I try not to complain. He says thank you. "But I don't think about this the same way everybody else does," he says. Preston Gannaway for ESPN One way he was able to do this is through coaching football. Michael Furlong CTE Teacher, AVID Elective Teacher. on demand Nov 20, 2021 4:00 PM PST. He tumbles forward. He has heard it from their parents and teachers. In less than a minute he introduces himself, then me and strikes up a conversation. I lift him out of his chair and carry him to my car, buckling him into the passenger's seat. ", Mendez makes a trip to a nearby shopping center for coffee. Bob hears the sound from a few feet away. You May Also Be Interested In They run the play again. Preston Gannaway for ESPN. "I'm not going to let that happen. Tolliver, Malachi i, e Easter, Noah ( So.) He runs Eight Laces Consulting where he specializes in helping coaches nationwide in their job search process. How does he go to the bathroom? This ensures that the coaches can spend quality time with all players attending and are not overwhelmed with large camp numbers. A class of 2021 recruit, Buddin was considered a four-star prospect out of high school and a top 40 linebacker in the country, according to 247 Sports. And different is not bad. "You know how it is.". "And you're risking it all by not wearing an upper belt.". Buddin is from Belleville, Michigan and was regarded as the 11th best player from the state during his senior year. . For the next 12 years, he worked as an assistant coach at five high schools, waiting for someone to believe in him as a head coach. I can adjust to anything that's thrown my way. On this night, on the same field where this journey began, Mendez gathers his team one last time. He says he would consider prosthetics only if he ever became a father. THREE MONTHS AFTER we first met, Mendez and I are in another bar, this time in downtown Campbell. To feel comfortable. Subject: Johnny Appleseed 2019 P/SS. His comes with a straw. He immediately snaps. I mention that one of the themes I'm thinking about for his story is this idea of a beautiful mind. The receiver is open. An assistant coach holds a whiteboard a few inches in front of Mendez. Mendez gives me directions. Mendez was born with tetra-amelia syndrome, a rare congenital disorder that prevents the formation of limbs during embryonic development. I lift him out of his chair and carry him to my car, buckling him into the passenger's seat. I lean over, wrap my hands around him and lift him out of his chair. I said, 'oh yeah? As we head back to Gilroy, I ask Mendez if he's aware of the impact he has already had on Prospect players and coaches like assistant Todd Livingston. A young boy holds open the door as Mendez approaches his favorite spot. He knew his offense, he knows his x's and o's and he brings an energy to the team, the players and the rest of the coaching staff. I don't sign up for being inspirational Rob.". Mendez rolls over to his dejected quarterback. One player quit because of Mendez. If all goes well, a receiver should be open about 15 yards downfield right in front of the Prospect sideline. Andre Jackson gets instructions from Mendez during the team's first game of the season. Mendez gains happiness and joy through helping others and that will be his message when he takes the podium for his acceptance speech. I pick up a fork, stab it into the roll, drag it through a puddle of soy sauce and put it in his mouth. He says thank you. "I love you, bro. And how does he deal with such a challenging life? Georgia Tech Football allows high school football coaches to request two (2) complimentary tickets to attend regular season home football games. "How in the world am I supposed to handle that?" When his friends went out for football his freshman year of high school, Rob became the team manager. After 12 years of working, Prospect High School gave him that chance. ", "You don't need to apologize," Mendez says. "I think every parent worries about their kids when they leave this earth," Bob says. Eighteen players from each playoff class were named to the team. he says. "I couldn't follow up with more of a class act," DeBoeuf said. Mendez doesn't buy it. Can you lift me out of my chair?". The coach nods and says "thank you." Im fighting to have something to drink. "Thank you," he says to me after his first sip. "The Super Bowl of JV football," he says. DeBoeuf could not be more honored to be chosen to replace Martindale. They gave me a feeling of importance. On Feb. 23, Dan DeBoeuf, the former head coach at Johnsburg High School was named the head coach of Prospect. On this night, on the same field where this journey began, Mendez gathers his team one last time. Rashada, a California high school star, returned home to the San Francisco suburb of Pittsburg instead of enrolling. "Special is bulls---. There's a lot on his mind. And that includes getting on the officials when something doesn't go his way. This is roughly the same player-to-coach ratio on a college football roster. Without his wheelchair working properly, he can't raise its height to sit next to me at the bar. The World Series is on television. The players jog back to their positions. Pub. His jaw dropped. On warmer days, he can get bed sores from sitting in the same position too long. "Great job, Coach. And anyone who has a problem with that, prove them wrong.'". I love when the kids say 'nobody', because it's true. Congratulations to @ProspectXCTF Coach Pete Wintermute on his @ITCCCA XC Coach of the Year and the Track Coach of the Year!!! (2007-10), and Wake Forest Demon Decons (2010-14); currently an assistant coach for the Memphis Grizzlies. I think back to something his pediatric physical therapist told me. Tears begin to fall. The quarterback removes the cap from a blue dry erase pen and puts it in Mendez's mouth. Unlike fighting or fantasy games where he constantly had to engage, football gave him breaks. His father has long wished that Rob would wear an upper belt as well as the one that wraps around his waist. He briefly leaves Rob in the garage to run inside. Preston Gannaway for ESPN. As much as he doesn't want this syndrome to define him, at the same time there's a part of him that loves the fact that it sort of does. I swear. Mendez calls his last timeout. "No, no, no," he says. And yeah, of course that's frustrating.". 42-13 (L) Prospect @ Independence On 9/16, the Prospect varsity football team lost their away non-conference game against Independence (San Jose, CA) by a score of 42-13 . But he wonders whether the players have any idea what they've given him. There, he drives his chair into the living room, where his roommate and caretaker, Mike McAvoy, waits on the couch. Coach Reed, My name is Johnny Appleseed. "It brings out the best in people. I mention that it seems as if anything that reminds him of his physical challenges bugs him. The school sits on the western edge of Silicon Valley, just 5 miles from Apple's campus. The Transfer Portal Changes How College Coaches Recruit High School Football Players - Inside the Knights The Transfer Portal, How it Changes High School Football Recruiting High. "It always kept me hungry. That's what I've realized over the years.". It gives me hope for the world. How does he eat? Not until he nearly received a DUI driving Rob's handicapped accessible van did he realize the path he was on. 2 QB and overall prospect by ESPN and is . His resiliency inspired others around him and made it an asset to have him on the staff. "Be bold and fail, be bold and fail, be bold and succeed. Rob's father saw potential in the happy, spunky baby, but also wrestled with his own emotions, admitting he often asked God "why?" I don't sign up for being inspirational Rob." I've been a 2 year starter on the varsity football team. I tell him that's the most honest he's been in our time together. Tired. He sees me, and he stands up straight and pulls himself together so he can open the door for me. He despises the word "special." "I'm not afraid to be myself," he tells me later. It seems like no big deal. Three other players start chitchatting between reps. Mendez loses it. I put Mendez on my shoulder, turn and then set him in the chair next to me. "When someone is born this way, this is their world," says Dr. Benjamin Mandac, Mendez's pediatric physical therapist who now is the head of that department at Kaiser Permanente in the Bay Area. He acknowledges that the attention is often uncomfortable. He never quit and now he has everyone asking, "Who says I can't?". When he's away from home, he's careful about what he eats and drinks, often keeping it to no more than an iced coffee. "It wasn't very polite or sensitive. Bennett, Will Cassaidy, Matthew Dietrich, Connor Konieczka, Sean ( Sr.) Letzig, Charles ( Fr.) Pratima Sherpa's Dream The team jogs over and surrounds him. "That's how humans are -- they adapt. Now he has everyone asking, "who says I can't? Coaches from Southwestern University and Nicholls State University will lead this showcase and will be joined by other college coaches from various programs. This life it just isn't always easy." Some newborns survive only a few hours or days. "Let's get to the bottom of it. Without his wheelchair working properly, he can't raise its height to sit next to me at the bar. At first, students and staffers did not quite know what to make of Robert, but it did not take him long to put their fears to rest. But he hates the sidewalk. This is the first opportunity for college coaches and high school football players to interact directly with each other on the football field. "I use my neck like my arm," Mendez says. He's meeting me at the bar. But he's always there for the kids. His parents connected him with Vujicic, who Mendez said told him he could make $25,000 per night as a motivational speaker. Mendez says it started with the Madden video game. ", RELATED: Football coach born without arms or legs to receive Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at 2019 ESPYS, "'Who says I can't?' IT WASN'T UNTIL an ultrasound in the eighth month of her pregnancy that Rob's mother, Josie, found out her son was not growing limbs. Mendez tries to explain, but the kid doesn't get it. "You know how Ironman gets in his suit and he just starts flying everywhere? I tell him that's the most honest he's been in our time together. At that point, she says, abortion wasn't an option. How does he go to the bathroom? We're going to fake it this way and then waggle out," he says. There's the answer he feels as if he should deliver. This is the opportunity he has waited 12 years for, the one he long felt he deserved but worried would never come. On this day, one of his freshman quarterbacks struggles to grasp the footwork on the 37 stretch. "Home," he answers. He absorbed everything he could. Some newborns survive only a few hours or days. He's had people who hear his story and then approach him in tears. Next year you'll be back in it, believe me." 2. Steven O'Dell, a big class of 2024 prospect from Broome High School in Spartanburg, told The Clemson Insider that he's been hearing some from the Tigers via social media and communicating with Thomas Austin. He finished second. Prospect's defense held off Maine South for the final 44 seconds to secure a 42-41 win. "I've always been someone to be not afraid of failure," Mendez said. Combing hair. How do you move a fully grown adult with no arms and legs? You're different. LESS THAN TWO weeks before his son's first game as a head coach, Bob Mendez prepares to drive Rob home after Sunday family dinner. And now for Odell Beckham Jr's next act He can be reached at wayne.drehs@espn.com. You know how Ironman gets in his suit and he just starts flying everywhere? And buckling Rob into his chair. In a little more than 12 hours, Prospect will play for the league JV championship. The season begins in a month. This also ensures that prospects will have time to interact with the coaches and learn from them in a small group and one-on-one setting. "The one thing that I want people to see is just how hard work pays off," Mendez said. She says she couldn't look at her son for the first couple of weeks. I put Mendez on my shoulder, turn and then set him in the chair next to me. ROB MENDEZ IS not only the most unique high school football coach in America, he's one of the most unique humans in the world. His presence should tell anyone, if you're paying attention, that your mind is the most powerful thing. "There was one word my dad never liked -- special," Mendez says. For now, he's still glowing from the impact his team had on him in his first JV season. Mendez. Coach seats are in a different section that prospect seats. "Rob? Rob's father saw potential in the happy, spunky baby, but also wrestled with his own emotions, admitting he often asked God "why?" I'm proud of you. ", Mendez leans forward in his chair. ( Google map, other maps) Mt. "In a text message." It's just natural to just be bold and try things in life. Mt. MENDEZ'S WHEELCHAIR NEVER sits still, but the way it pinballs back and forth between the hashmarks on the Prospect practice field says the coach is not happy. The bar JV football, '' bob says i & # x27 t. Attending and are not overwhelmed with large camp numbers Prospect ID events are the premier. Try things in life in Mendez 's mouth pen and puts it in 's... The fast changeover, coaches and learn from them in a different section that Prospect seats door Mendez..., and he stands up straight and pulls himself together So he can the! 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The school sits on the field 108 days later `` that 's the most honest he 's still from! Not be more honored to be chosen to replace Martindale driving Rob 's accessible... Says he would consider prosthetics only if he ever became a father n't? `` after 12 years working. Me out of his chair and carry him to my car, buckling him into passenger.
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