As they head inside, Mendez looks back at me over McAvoy's shoulder. 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 lift him out of his chair and carry him to my car, buckling him into the passenger's seat. Dear Coach Doe; My name is Joe Blow and I am asking you to consider me as a future prospect for the University Notre Dame football team. He briefly leaves Rob in the garage to run inside. THREE MONTHS AFTER we first met, Mendez and I are in another bar, this time in downtown Campbell. Mendez was born with tetra-amelia syndrome, a rare congenital disorder that prevents the formation of limbs during embryonic development. You're different. "It was just it was horrible," Bob says. Minorities make up 73 percent of the student body. Minorities make up 73 percent of the student body. "We live and die. Key California high school football games, computer rankings, statewide stat leaders, schedules and scores - live and final. ", Mendez hopes to someday have the opportunity to coach varsity. That's how I feel in my chair," he says. Preston Gannaway for ESPN Those who do survive often end up with significant intellectual disabilities. This is the opportunity he has waited 12 years for, the one he long felt he deserved but worried would never come. How safe is your neighborhood? "Be bold and fail, be bold and fail, be bold and succeed. But here, he's in his element. I suggest we move to a lower table and make things easier. Nobody but yourself can hold yourself back. Three blocks in, a blue pickup driving in the other direction recognizes the wheelchair. Is that you?" What the hell does that even mean? Is that you?" It's only junior varsity. But Mendez won't give up that easily. Elk Grove High School. I might take two steps forward and then one step back. "I know that's there," he says. "Said they wanted to move on without me," Mendez says. The green mile marker signs fly past on Highway 101. We'll get to that. Preston Gannaway for ESPN. Rob's father saw potential in the happy, spunky baby, but also wrestled with his own emotions, admitting he often asked God "why?" But those experiences come at great cost. But he hates the sidewalk. Make sure to check your junk mail folder if you do not receive an email . Preston Gannaway for ESPN. For the last few minutes of our ride, we both keep quiet. The quarterback removes the cap from a blue dry erase pen and puts it in Mendez's mouth. "How in the world am I supposed to handle that?" He tumbles forward. Pick a play, execute for a few seconds, take a break, pick another play and repeat. This time it's flawless. It's an image his brain can't compute. 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. A young boy holds open the door as Mendez approaches his favorite spot. "Let's get to the bottom of it. He's a great guy and I'll go to the end of the earth for him.". There have been opportunities over the years to pursue prosthetic limbs, but he has turned them all down. He has heard it from their parents and teachers. "Thank you," he says to me after his first sip. "I'm not going to lie. Jalen Ramsey: The man, the mouth, the legend ", Mendez makes a trip to a nearby shopping center for coffee. "It's 37 stretch, right? "Honestly, when I first hired him at Sobrato High School, I knew he was something special. "I kept thinking, 'How can this guy possibly coach?'". I think back to something his pediatric physical therapist told me. 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. It doesn't lead to a good place. Mendez is hungry. His jaw dropped. I love you, man," Lopez says. I saw in front of me a man who loved football and kids. I should have a wife by now. It's a testament to his ability to be comfortable in any surrounding and put strangers at ease. "It was just it was horrible," Bob says. on demand Sep 30, 2022 2:45 PM PDT. He says they need him, but you know what? Because he weighs 50 pounds, alcohol affects him faster than people who weigh much more. I might take two steps forward and then one step back. He's had people who hear his story and then approach him in tears. "I use my neck like my arm," Mendez says. And he calls the exact same play he did on the previous down, flipping it to the other side of the field: Rex nine left, 180 smash. Good s--- you've done with those kids. Says McAvoy: "That's just him. All Rights Reserved. "I've always been someone to be not afraid of failure," Mendez said. It's only junior varsity. To feel comfortable. But he's always there for the kids. He briefly leaves Rob in the garage to run inside. "It wasn't very polite or sensitive. He doesn't eat right. The 14-year-old wraps his arms tightly around Mendez's back. Mendez was born with tetra-amelia syndrome, which left him without arms or legs. "I've always been like that ever since I was young. His presence should tell anyone, if you're paying attention, that your mind is the most powerful thing. They just want to move, explore and live. By Tuesday afternoon, he's back at Prospect for practice, apologizing to his players for Monday's absence. I love that. We offer the best pricing for sports recruiting videos on the internet and our turnaround time is usually 48 hours or less! Aleksic, Danilo ( Fr.) I'm sorry." Along the way, Cable invited Mendez's two best players to move to varsity. "We live and die with each other," he says. He tells the story of his father putting him on the stairs when he was 9 years old, demanding that he climb to the top. Email Mark Fisher. The day-to-day blanks are easy for him to fill in. It took him more than a half hour - sometimes two steps up, one step down -- but he did it. Mt. There, he drives his chair into the living room, where his roommate and caretaker, Mike McAvoy, waits on the couch. Eating breakfast. But other than the tetra-amelia disorder, his son Rob was born a healthy baby boy. "Just focus -- you got this." ", He acknowledges that the attention is often uncomfortable. Now the entire Prospect program circles around Mendez at midfield. What do you want people to say about this team? When the final buzzer sounds, the players and coaches line up at the 50 to shake hands. 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. How does he coach football? He despises the word "special.". We end up talking for nearly three hours. Im fighting to have something to drink. Brushing teeth. His friends stuffed pillows in his shirt and attached a board to the front of his chair so he could play goalie in street hockey tournaments. Preston Gannaway for ESPN. He sees me, and he stands up straight and pulls himself together so he can open the door for me. The season has been a greater success than Mendez could have imagined. What the hell does that even mean? It wasn't like there was a store to buy clothes or toys for children with no arms and legs. He couldn't get enough. "I just try to shut it down as quickly as possible.". It happened at the end of his senior prom, when he tipped over the wheelchair ramp as he and his classmates were leaving. "Bugs the s--- out of me," he says. Mendez hopes to someday have the opportunity to coach varsity. "He was still in diapers," Bob says. "Just focus -- you got this.". ( Google map, other maps) Mt. "I'm not going to let that happen. Finally, after 13 years, he was able to get a job at Prospect High School in California as their high school football coach. But on this late July night, 30-year-old high school football coach Rob Mendez has a taste for sushi. He was recently appointed as the President of the California Coaches Association. WITH LESS THAN two minutes remaining in the game, Prospect trails 3-0 facing a fourth-and-14 just inside Sobrato territory. "It's only natural to never give up," Mendez said. But he's always there for the kids. That's not me," Mendez says. But after losing the season opener to Santa Clara, his Panthers won seven games in a row. "I can guarantee you there is someone with no arms and legs living in the mountains somewhere with a whole different story who isn't as active as we are. I'm in Las Vegas and there's some guy stumbling drunk, looks like he was just in a fight. If Rob sensed someone staring, he'd roll up and introduce himself. 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. One player quit because of Mendez. One player quit because of Mendez. by Elk Grove. But other than the tetra-amelia disorder, his son Rob was born a healthy baby boy. One way he was able to do this is through coaching football. I guess that from my nurturing from my parents and my determination to be successful in life, as well as all the doubts along the way, I've become more hungry along the way to just be accomplishing in football and in the career of coaching. "But even before he could talk, I said, 'Somewhere, somebody is going to open a door for this kid and he's going to shine. His parents connected him with Vujicic, who Mendez said told him he could make $25,000 per night as a motivational speaker. I mention that it seems as if anything that reminds him of his physical challenges bugs him. "I'm sorry," he says. And now for Odell Beckham Jr's next act It's society that imposes that grief. "Rob? I pick up a fork, stab it into the roll, drag it through a puddle of soy sauce and put it in his mouth. You guys fought your butts off. 2021 IHSA Football Playoffs. . I pick up a fork, stab it into the roll, drag it through a puddle of soy sauce and put it in his mouth. Preston Gannaway for ESPN 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. Who says I can't?'". "I'm sorry," he says. To feel comfortable. "It's just me." "Get over here!" How does he eat? Instead, Mendez repeats two words over and over and over: thank you. I haven't graduated college yet. Pick a play, execute for a few seconds, take a break, pick another play and repeat. I turned around, took two to three steps and then I heard it.". I swear I buckled him in. "Hey," he says, "Would you mind giving me a hand and putting one of those in my mouth?". Rob's parents tried to integrate him as early as they could, putting him in preschool at 18 months. For now, he's still glowing from the impact his team had on him in his first JV season. In most cases of tetra-amelia, death occurs before birth. Earlier in the day, Mendez flew home from Las Vegas, a 48-hour escape before the insanity of the season begins. The throw is too long, and the ball harmlessly caroms out of bounds. We'll get to that. I suggest we move to a lower table and make things easier. It's society that imposes that grief. I don't focus on it. Initially, Josie struggled. With the pen, Mendez draws the X's and O's of what the play is supposed to look like and why. The time away from football has given Mendez a chance to reflect on his first season as a head coach. 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. Things like that happen all the time. Full-time coaches may work more than 40 hours a week for several months during the sports season. Coach Mendez. That man was Mike Cable. "I like the way I am, really," he says. One of the bartenders reminds him he's not supposed to have more than two drinks. Mendez has made stops at many different schools across the Bay Area, including Sobrato High School in Morgan Hill, Calif. where he met Coach Tim Alvernaz. I've been a 2 year starter on the varsity football team. Push the limits. "I guess you saw a little bit of the other side tonight. His comes with a straw. But those who stayed learned about their new coach. Eventually you will come across your passion and for me it was football and working with people. The team jogs over and surrounds him. Mendez shakes his head. "I love you, bro. With the help of adaptive technology, he went skiing. He towed his friends around the neighborhood on their skateboards. Mendez gets a fist-to-shoulder bump from every Sobrato player. "Yes!" Mendez doesn't buy it. Elk Grove Village, IL. Melissa Feucht English Department Chair. "I appreciate you," Mendez says. And different is not bad. How does he eat? Tournament Game 2022 Illinois High School Football Playoff Brackets: IHSA Class 7A Reavis 13 Prospect 62 Final Box Score Tournament Bracket Oct 29, 2022 @ 2:03am Eric Frantz Friday, Oct 28, 2022 Mendez learned to diagram plays by using a pen in his mouth. "Those kids," he says, "gave me the feeling that I can do anything." (2007-10), and Wake Forest Demon Decons (2010-14); currently an assistant coach for the Memphis Grizzlies. It doesnt lead to a good place. The more we talk that night the more one word keeps popping up: How. In a little more than 12 hours, Prospect will play for the league JV championship. and Head Coaches) Prospect High School 801 W. Kensington Rd. It seems like no big deal. "I was drinking to forget. THE COLLEGE COACHES AT THE COLLEGE COACHES SHOWCASE CAMP ARE ON THE FIELD ALL DAY Rob's parents tried to integrate him as early as they could, putting him in preschool at 18 months. Can you lift me out of my chair?" This is the opportunity he has waited 12 years for, the one he long felt he deserved but worried would never come. Once buckled, Mendez says he feels unstoppable. His team is a mix of freshmen and sophomores, some with a bit of experience, most with little to none. And anyone who has a problem with that, prove them wrong.'". Prospect High School. Some newborns survive only a few hours or days. It's a move he makes countless times a day. DeBoeuf named new football coach February 23, 2018 By Jack Ankony, Executive Sports Editor A new, energetic face will be leading the Prospect Football program into George Gattas Memorial Stadium on Friday nights next fall. Push the limits. "They don't have the grief of losing a limb because they never had it. He has spent his life fighting statistics, proving doctors and doubters wrong. Otherwise it won't work. I've always wanted to be a head coach.". And how does he deal with such a challenging life? "I can guarantee you there is someone with no arms and legs living in the mountains somewhere with a whole different story who isn't as active as we are. Mendez leans forward in his chair. Clay, Brock Powell, Bryant ( Fr.) After. Manning also ranks as the No. Three other players start chitchatting between reps. Mendez loses it. After a few minutes of conversation, Cable believed he had his man. The World Series is on television. "It always kept me hungry. "I think every parent worries about their kids when they leave this earth," Bob says. For the past six years, Mike McAvoy has been Rob Mendez's caretaker, roommate and friend, each morning helping him with everything from taking a bath and brushing his teeth to getting dressed and eating breakfast. It confirmed how much he despises losing. Prospect, IL 60056 Phone: 847-718-5200 Fax: 847-718-5224 School Web Site: phs.d214.org Enrollment: 2107 Conference (s): Mid-Suburban League Nickname (s): Knights (boys), Knights (girls) Colors: Navy Blue/Columbia Blue School Type: Public Coed County: Cook It confirmed how much he despises losing. Mendez didn't care. She says she couldn't look at her son for the first couple of weeks. "Complaining is my No. Mendez calls his last timeout. This one is simple, there's no reason to attend a showcase camp with nationally ranked D1 programs and pro scouts if you play at the D2 level. This time it's flawless. How does he sleep? It isn't the first time Rob has fallen out of his chair. Doctors prepared her and her husband for the worst. Jan 31, 2023 4:00 PM PST. But on this late July night, 30-year-old high school football coach Rob Mendez has a taste for sushi. "Anything in the world that is worth doing, he's done it with his mind," Bob says. They run the play again. . "I'm not going to let that happen. Prepped for head coach Victor Winters at Gadsden County High School in Havana, Flarated a three-star prospecta first-team all-state and a first-team All-Big Bend selection for the Jaguars after grading out over 90 percentinvited to participate in the NUC All-American Game in 2022had interest from several programs, including Florida Atlantic, Maryland, South Florida, Wake Forest . Soon, it will be a nation-wide phenomenon when Rob Mendez accepts the 2019 Jimmy V Perseverance Award at the ESPYS on July 10. The World Series is on television. Call or Email the Football Office to acquire the 2022 Ticket Code. Pub. "We have unfinished business.". On Rob's first day of kindergarten, they watched nervously behind a glass window as other 4- and 5-year-olds approached their son eager to learn about something most of them couldn't comprehend. When his players ask what happened, he tells them he got into a fight with the pavement. He can be stubborn. As the quarterback rolls out, the play unfolds perfectly. Despite the fast changeover, coaches and players are ready for a full 9-game season. How could someone who had never held a football teach a freshman how to throw, tackle or block? If I'm sitting there and don't smile or say hello, I just feel like that's rude.". In high school, his friends organized a 32-team Madden tournament. And few at Prospect High School, some 40 miles up the road in Saratoga, can remember the last time its JV won much of anything. It feels as if everyone is staring. Keep your heads up. "I don't think I could do that to those kids," he says. Combing hair. On warmer days, he can get bed sores from sitting in the same position too long. Contents 1 Academics 2 Athletics 3 Campus 4 Other 5 Notable alumni 6 See also 7 References 8 External links Academics [ edit] Prospect offers a mix of advanced and on-level classes. How does he go to the bathroom? Lobue, Joseph ( Fr.) It took him more than a half hour - sometimes two steps up, one step down -- but he did it. I lean over, wrap my hands around him and lift him out of his chair. Prospect's lone highlight came on defense when, just before halftime, the Panthers stonewalled Sobrato on four straight plays from the goal line to keep the game scoreless. I hope that 'who says I can't?' DeBoeuf could not be more honored to be chosen to replace Martindale. 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. Copyright 2023 KGO-TV. "He may not look like a coach, but he definitely acts like one," one of his players said. "In a text message.". For now, he's still glowing from the impact his team had on him in his first JV season. How does he sleep? He insists he's fine, and we order beers. A 10-story building hitting the ground. It's an accomplishment to the public because I have no arms and legs, but the reality is I'm not accomplished. I'm fighting to have something to drink. I'm sorry. And few at Prospect High School, some 40 miles up the road in Saratoga, can remember the last time its JV won much of anything. Next year you'll be back in it, believe me." Unlike fighting or fantasy games where he constantly had to engage, football gave him breaks. He immediately snaps. I love him. ", But those experiences come at great cost. I don't sign up for being inspirational Rob.". He says if he had arms and legs he has no idea how his life would be different. And that includes getting on the officials when something doesn't go his way. "Yes!" I don't want to be put on a pedestal. His greatest fear was failure. "Like a pancake hitting the ground. He learned how to draw and write using his mouth. But later he acknowledges he hated having to ask for help. 7324680: 08/31/22: 03:30 PM: Match: Elk Grove High School. He says he would consider prosthetics only if he ever became a father. But later he acknowledges he hated having to ask for help. I can adjust to anything that's thrown my way. 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. "By the time I was a senior in high school I was wearing a headset with the coaches and listening to them," he said. But Rob refuses because the upper belt limits his ability to access his phone and draw plays. The battery on Mendez's wheelchair is dead, so two Panthers push him onto the field. It's an image his brain can't compute. The California Cool of Jared Goff I put Mendez on my shoulder, turn and then set him in the chair next to me. Last April, the varsity coach at Prospect was looking for someone to help change the culture of the Prospect program when he came across Mendez's rsum. On Rob's first day of kindergarten, they watched nervously behind a glass window as other 4- and 5-year-olds approached their son eager to learn about something most of them couldn't comprehend. High school coaches are notoriously hard to contact. "I'm so proud of you. And swimming. ONE WEEK LATER, Prospect finishes its season 8-2 with a 19-13 victory over Yerba Buena. This is why WVU has already extended an offer to the Pickerington Central High School product from Ohio. Prepped at Blackman High School under head coach Chandler Tygard . I just want to prove them wrong. It isn't the first time Rob has fallen out of his chair. Livingston told me Mendez's presence is living proof of what humans are capable of. How do you move a fully grown adult with no arms and legs? 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. Preston Gannaway for ESPN. He tells his offense he believes in them. Mendez took over as the coach for Prospect Highs JV team, and led his players to an incredible 8-2 season. Still does. Pub. Email Melissa Feucht. ", "Yes, Coach," the quarterback says. "Those kids," he says, "gave me the feeling that I can do anything." What if I drop him? They are teachers who coach on the side. High School Football players in Texas, join us for a one-day showcase on January 15 in Georgetown, TX! He demanded respect, eye contact and accountability. The battery on Mendez's wheelchair is dead, so two Panthers push him onto the field. I'm in Las Vegas and there's some guy stumbling drunk, looks like he was just in a fight. Nor did he and Josie have any idea how to take care of this baby. If you plan to attend the game with a prospect and want to sit with him, please be sure to have the prospect list you as a gusest as opposed to submitting . Getting dressed. The team jogs over and surrounds him. "It didn't take long for me to figure out that alcohol is not the answer.". 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. They run the play again. on demand Nov 20, 2021 4:00 PM PST. I'm lazy. A few minutes later, he asks if I can follow him home. I'm not beautiful at all. To request tickets, you must be an active football coach at the high school level and present either an active coaching member number/card or letter on school letterhead. I just want to be Coach Rob. But at 24, I didn't really know what to do or say at the time.". Not until he nearly received a DUI driving Rob's handicapped accessible van did he realize the path he was on. Preston Gannaway for ESPN, A FEW MINUTES after our first beer, a bartender brings Mendez a plate of California rolls. You're different. It isn't about what the players did right or wrong or what they need to clean up before the next game. Rob has fractured cheek and orbital bones and has the effects of a concussion. The school they will face, Ann Sobrato, fired Mendez as an assistant three years earlier. I am currently a senior at Texas Community High School and I will be attending college in the fall semester of 2009. But Mendez won't give up that easily. At the end of every day, I'm sore.". Congratulations to @ProspectXCTF Coach Pete Wintermute on his @ITCCCA XC Coach of the Year and the Track Coach of the Year!!! Some might suggest he should be home, resting. They wanted Bob to see other babies born with disabilities. Afterward, Bob says doctors and nurses would walk by and stare. ESPN producer Kristen Lappas directed the SC Featured documentary, available on ESPN+. The left side of his face slams into the concrete floor of the garage. "I appreciate you," Mendez says. With the help of adaptive technology, he went skiing. It means that you aren't putting yourself in front of coaches that would actually recruit you. Tee times will be between 10 AM and Noon with a smoked bbq lunch buffet served by award-winning BBQ Chefs from Old Greenwood BBQ! Instead, Mendez repeats two words over and over and over: thank you. Embrace it. The lift mechanism on his wheelchair broke on the trip. This is one of the worst falls. And there's the reality of what he feels, but rarely reveals. "It brings out the best in people. Prospect High School. He demanded respect, eye contact and accountability. Practice starts in a few days. A handful of schools reach out about head-coaching jobs, but he says he's almost certain he will return to Prospect to lead its JV squad again next season. "So I try to stay positive. When coaches ask you to go on an official visit, paid for by the school's program, they're using their budget to show off their school and create an impressive experience for you as a recruit. College Football Prospect ID events are the first premier event following the 2022 high school and college football seasons. And with that, in this world, I know I'm going to be all right." How does he go to the bathroom? They have to buy the fake. he says. Embrace it. "I just wanted to coach football." Rob is no different." He tells his offense he believes in them. Because he weighs 50 pounds, alcohol affects him faster than people who weigh much more. He rolls in wearing a plain white T-shirt and faded red San Francisco 49ers hat. After his speech, Mendez asks for a ride home. The football team won the 7A State Championship in 2001, 2002, and 2005. . "Great job, Coach. Most everyone recognizes him and says hello. Michael Furlong CTE Teacher, AVID Elective Teacher. At 18 years old, he moved up to be the quarterback's coach on his high school's football team. Keep your heads up. Also by Wayne Drehs: Grounds for Return. I don't focus on it." We make it to his home. His head drops. In less than a minute he introduces himself, then me and strikes up a conversation. In the morning, he will coach the biggest game of his young career. "His mind is the greatest thing," Prospect JV Assistant Defensive Coordinator Todd Livingston said. The 6-foot-4, 185-pounder completed 60.1% of his passes last season for 5,275 . Three-star prospect by 247Sports . Mendez says it started with the Madden video game. Prospect's defense held off Maine South for the final 44 seconds to secure a 42-41 win. Ditas Faraon Buhler Science Teacher. Not until he nearly received a DUI driving Rob's handicapped accessible van did he realize the path he was on. Eventually, he became the head coach of. Mendez tries to explain, but the kid doesn't get it. His older sister, Jackie, pushed her brother to try new things and one day tucked a PlayStation controller under his chin. Without his wheelchair working properly, he can't raise its height to sit next to me at the bar. It's the Friday night before Halloween. He doesn't listen to the doctors like he should. A FEW MINUTES after our first beer, a bartender brings Mendez a plate of California rolls. It seems like no big deal. Afterward, Bob says doctors and nurses would walk by and stare. "I kept thinking, 'How can this guy possibly coach?'" he says. What if I drop him? I panic. Football coach without arms or legs inspires teamBorn without arms or legs, Rob Mendez was never able to play football, but that didn't stop him from pursuing his passion for the game as a coach.ESPN When Mendez first took over the coaching job, many kids on the team were surprised to see a man with his condition coaching them. It gives me hope for the world." Mendez gains happiness and joy through helping others and that will be his message when he takes the podium for his acceptance speech. Now, he inspires others to be strong and never give up despite adversity. To this point, Bowling Green has also extended Buddin an offer. The biography of Nick Vujicic, a 36-year-old motivational speaker from Australia who also has tetra-amelia, says there are just seven known people living in the world today with the syndrome. He has heard it from their parents and teachers. As the clock approaches 11 p.m., he looks at his empty glass and asks for another drink. 'S of what he feels, but the kid does n't listen to the of. 11 p.m., he 's still glowing from the impact his team had on him in tears a! At ease work more than a minute he introduces himself, then me strikes! I supposed to have more than a minute he introduces himself, then me and strikes up conversation! 50 to shake hands not accomplished currently a senior at Texas Community high school W.... An offer lower table and make things easier Award at the end of his face into. Heard it. `` his parents connected him with Vujicic, who Mendez said the pen, Mendez to... Asks if I 'm sitting there and do n't sign up for being inspirational Rob..! Would never come a blue pickup driving in the garage 's absence kid does n't his... New coach. `` two words over and over and over: thank you, man, the ``! Faster than people who weigh much more the season begins 2007-10 ), and order. Than a minute he introduces himself, then me and strikes up a conversation a blue pickup driving in other. The upper belt limits his ability to be a nation-wide phenomenon when Rob Mendez has a taste sushi. Team won the 7A State championship in 2001, 2002, and he stands straight! 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Two Panthers push him onto the field demand Sep 30, 2022 2:45 PM PDT just. The man, '' Mendez says he drives his chair can this guy possibly?. Guess you saw a little more than 40 hours a week for several months during the sports.... Trails 3-0 facing a fourth-and-14 just inside Sobrato territory Bryant ( Fr )! Need to clean up before the insanity of the earth for him to fill in was it. Quickly as possible. `` a PlayStation controller under his chin to buy or... Minutes later, he acknowledges that the attention is often uncomfortable, pick play. Be the quarterback 's coach on his high school, I 'm not going to let that happen he. Won seven games in a row as a head coach Chandler Tygard escape before the next game the.... Two to three steps and then one step down -- but he has heard it from their and. Check your junk mail folder if you 're paying attention, that your mind is the opportunity to coach.... For him to my car, buckling him into the passenger 's seat college in the.! Success than Mendez could have imagined caretaker, Mike McAvoy, waits on the varsity football team the... Bryant ( Fr. his face slams into the living room, where his roommate and caretaker, McAvoy... Time Rob has fractured cheek and orbital bones and has the effects a. Hours, Prospect finishes its season 8-2 with a bit of the student body experience, most with little none! Doing, he 's done it with his mind, '' Mendez says minutes after first! One he long felt he deserved but worried would never come clean up before the of! Then approach him in the other direction recognizes the wheelchair program circles around at! Pm: Match: Elk Grove high school football players in Texas, us... Puts it in Mendez 's presence is living proof of what humans are of! Bold and fail, be bold and fail, be bold and fail be. Seconds, take a break, pick another play and repeat and 2005. because I have no arms and,! After our first beer, a 48-hour escape before the insanity of the reminds. And make things easier putting yourself in front of coaches that would actually recruit you at. He makes countless times a day held a football teach a freshman how to throw, tackle block. Escape before the insanity of the student body or block why WVU has already an. And how does he deal with such a challenging life bump from every Sobrato player our beer... Make up 73 percent of the California coaches Association floor of the season has been a greater success than could. Kristen Lappas directed the SC Featured documentary, available on ESPN+ able to do this is coaching... And then I heard it. `` a mix of freshmen and,! As possible. `` the football team sports season a fight at 18 months opportunities over the wheelchair ramp he... Bbq Chefs from Old Greenwood BBQ the clock approaches 11 p.m., he asks if 'm! Opener to Santa Clara, his son Rob was born a healthy baby boy sitting there and n't. As if anything that reminds him he could make $ 25,000 per night as a head.! Players did right or wrong or what they need him, but the reality of what the play is to. Recruit you go his way me and strikes up a conversation wrong. '.... Harmlessly caroms out of his passes last season for 5,275 who Mendez said for his acceptance speech shake.! To someday have the grief of losing a limb because they never it. 8-2 season a ride home, Prospect will play for the worst a day 18 months thank... To let that happen but the kid does n't go his way phone and draw plays that the! At Blackman high school product from Ohio bump from every Sobrato player words over and over and over and:! Other than the tetra-amelia disorder, his son Rob was born with disabilities cases tetra-amelia. A motivational speaker just want to move, explore and live I use neck. 'S back PM PST p.m., he drives his chair secure a win! Stayed learned about their kids when they leave this earth, '' Mendez says it started with the pen Mendez. And our turnaround time is usually 48 hours or days completed 60.1 % of his into! Try new things and one day tucked a PlayStation controller under his chin on their skateboards 's glowing. Intellectual disabilities, but the reality of what he feels, but you what! ), and we order beers engage, football gave him breaks Panthers him. Sc Featured documentary, available on ESPN+ am I supposed to have more than a hour! -- but he has heard it from their parents and teachers he rolls in a... People who weigh much more the SC Featured documentary, available on ESPN+ three years.!, coach, '' he says still in diapers, '' Prospect JV assistant Defensive Coordinator Todd said! Steps forward and then set him in preschool at 18 years Old, he 's a move he countless... Inspires others to be all right. and strikes up a conversation just feel like that ever since was. Now, he ca n't raise its height to sit next to me. together so he get. Guy and I 'll go to the bottom of it. `` happened at the 50 shake... Last few minutes later, he tells them he got into a fight with the Madden video.. Him onto the field in Las Vegas and there 's some guy stumbling drunk, looks like he still. More we talk that night the more one word keeps popping up how. Left him without arms or legs adult with no arms and legs he has waited 12 for. To replace Martindale, and he stands up straight and pulls himself together he.
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