I should have a wife by now. "No, no, no," he says. ", In the months that follow, Mendez unplugs from football. On warmer days, he can get bed sores from sitting in the same position too long. And Lewis Hamilton living the hell out of life. So I follow him in the bike lane, hazards on. "I appreciate you," Mendez says. "I guess you saw a little bit of the other side tonight. In less than a minute he introduces himself, then me and strikes up a conversation. He briefly leaves Rob in the garage to run inside. Otherwise there's the potential he'll need to use the bathroom without McAvoy there to help him. "He was still in diapers," Bob says. For the last few minutes of our ride, we both keep quiet. He says if he had arms and legs he has no idea how his life would be different. Come play a 9-hole scramble at Sunken Gardens in Sunnyvale on July 30th! How do you move a fully grown adult with no arms and legs? "Honestly, when I first hired him at Sobrato High School, I knew he was something special. The left side of his face slams into the concrete floor of the garage. 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. The time away from football has given Mendez a chance to reflect on his first season as a head coach. When his players ask what happened, he tells them he got into a fight with the pavement. So I follow him in the bike lane, hazards on. By Tuesday afternoon, he's back at Prospect for practice, apologizing to his players for Monday's absence. Push the limits. 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 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. "And you're risking it all by not wearing an upper belt." Taking a bath. And he doesn't like the idea I have for framing his story. 31 years later, he's changing the football community with his coaching ability as the JV coach of Prospect High School in Saratoga, Calif. and inspiring the world with his story. 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. "But I don't think about this the same way everybody else does," he says. Helped North Kansas City to a . Prospect High School junior varsity football coach Rob Mendez, who was born without limbs, was honored on Wednesday night at the ESPYS with the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance. "It's just me." ONE WEEK LATER, Prospect finishes its season 8-2 with a 19-13 victory over Yerba Buena. And ended each practice with the same message: I love you guys. Rob's parents tried to integrate him as early as they could, putting him in preschool at 18 months. I assume Mendez will pilot his wheelchair on the sidewalk and I'll drive alongside for the five dimly lit blocks back to his house. The day-to-day blanks are easy for him to fill in. Mendez looks up as the quarterback's pass sails overhead. After a few minutes of conversation, he seemed like any other football coach having a beer on a Friday night. It's the Friday night before Halloween. "Screw that," he says. Ditas Faraon Buhler Science Teacher. "They don't have the grief of losing a limb because they never had it. Some might suggest he should be home, resting. "I love you, bro. "I don't think I could do that to those kids," he says. We offer the best pricing for sports recruiting videos on the internet and our turnaround time is usually 48 hours or less! Keep your heads up. "I just try to shut it down as quickly as possible." Thats how I feel in my chair. I'm proud of you. The next day he spends almost entirely in bed, unable to open his eyes. Jan 31, 2023 4:00 PM PST. Later, she would cover Rob in blankets when they went in public. That man was Mike Cable. 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. "I don't think I could do that to those kids," he says. To feel comfortable. "It didn't take long for me to figure out that alcohol is not the answer.". College Football Prospect ID events are the first premier event following the 2022 high school and college football seasons. I agree it's a small percentage. That sentiment has been followed by so many other coaches that he came across in his career. He couldn't get enough. At the end of every day, I'm sore.". "I couldn't follow up with more of a class act," DeBoeuf said. ", Mendez makes a trip to a nearby shopping center for coffee. It is hard for college coaches to obtain rosters from high school coaches, and even harder to get them to hand over contact . This life it just isn't always easy." But I learned that I can be a leader. Unofficial or official visit invites. "Think about it. 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. Helped Blackman to a 10-3 record and an appearance in the third round of the Class 6A playoffs . He is 50 pounds of head, neck, torso and waist. The next day he spends almost entirely in bed, unable to open his eyes. It happened at the end of his senior prom, when he tipped over the wheelchair ramp as he and his classmates were leaving. Still does. "It sounds so ridiculous, but it's true," he says. Mendez didnt allow his differences to limit him, though, and developed a passion for coaching by learning the game of football by playing Madden video games. He doesn't eat right. With the pen, Mendez draws the X's and O's of what the play is supposed to look like and why. But those who stayed learned about their new coach. They just want to move, explore and live. This life it just isn't always easy. This ensures that the coaches can spend quality time with all players attending and are not overwhelmed with large camp numbers. Mendez shakes his head. His team is a mix of freshmen and sophomores, some with a bit of experience, most with little to none. "I like the way I am, really," he says. Mendez is hungry. He has heard it from their parents and teachers. In his first full season as head coach, he led the Panthers to a playoff birth and a near-perfect season. But those who stayed learned about their new coach. I unbuckle the belt around his waist and weave it through the slits torn on the sides of his shirt. "I just try to shut it down as quickly as possible.". This standout in-state offensive lineman is staying in touch with Clemson's O-line coach. 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. Any other details they should know (If you have previously attended the school's camp or met the coaches) Sample Introductory Email: To: Reed@email.edu, RecruitingCoordinator@email.edu, SecondAssistant@email.edu. Now the entire Prospect program circles around Mendez at midfield. ", He acknowledges that the attention is often uncomfortable. I stuff a pad between him and the chair back -- paranoid he could fall. "Those kids," he says, "gave me the feeling that I can do anything." You know how Ironman gets in his suit and he just starts flying everywhere? I love the feeling when I lift kids up. He briefly leaves Rob in the garage to run inside. Clay, Brock Powell, Bryant ( Fr.) It gives me hope for the world." Eighteen players from each playoff class were named to the team. The 14-year-old wraps his arms tightly around Mendez's back. "I'm sorry," he says. The interview began with Mendez asking Cable for a fist bump on the shoulder. It doesn't lead to a good place. 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. He's had people who hear his story and then approach him in tears. Brushing teeth. The more we talk that night the more one word keeps popping up: How. Pick a play, execute for a few seconds, take a break, pick another play and repeat. "I'm pretty good at dealing with pain, and I didn't want to stay home feeling sorry for myself," he says. Kicking Instruction by NFL Kickers and top collegiates NATIONAL KICKING SERVICE FOOTBALL KICKING, PUNTING, AND LONG SNAPPING CAMPS Recommended by NFL Players & Coaches Since 1988, one of football's most respected authorities on Special Teams Skills Groundbreaking Biomechanics Training Program Summer camps are authentic pro-style overnight camps. Not having arms or legs has stopped Mendez from being able to play sports or do certain jobs he has always been interested in, like being an electrician, but he always fought to find ways to be happy. the driver asks. But I'm 30 years old and a JV high school football coach. They chose to stay with him. "Home," he answers. "Just focus -- you got this." He doesn't listen. He started as a manager on his Gilroy High School team as a freshman. It gives me hope for the world. Blood runs everywhere. Things like that happen all the time. Sobrato is located across the street from his parents' home in Morgan Hill. "I got it. He demanded respect, eye contact and accountability. For Rob, the message from his father was simple: Embrace your differences. It just makes me mad.". I just knew he was the right man for the job.". "Rob? My dad would tell me, 'You're not special, Rob. Those who do survive often end up with significant intellectual disabilities. How High School Football Coaches Help Their Players Get Recruited Sanjay Kirpalani July 5, 2013 Dothan (Ala.) High School head coach Kelvis White is one example of prep coaches doing. So I try to stay positive. 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 . "I just wanted to coach football." "Anything in the world that is worth doing, he's done it with his mind," Bob says. Rob has fractured cheek and orbital bones and has the effects of a concussion. And his roommate is resting back at home, exhausted from a pair of Vegas nights. The season begins in a month. They gave me a feeling of importance. McAvoy has been Mendez's caretaker for the past six years. They wanted Bob to see other babies born with disabilities. You MUST have the correct code in order to receive tickets. He can be stubborn. You're different. Preston Gannaway for ESPN. They are teachers who coach on the side. I might take two steps forward and then one step back. I turned around, took two to three steps and then I heard it.". He is mobile thanks to the chair he controls with his head and neck. THREE MONTHS AFTER we first met, Mendez and I are in another bar, this time in downtown Campbell. Good s--- you've done with those kids. John Hersey High School Buffalo Grove High School Elk Grove High School Glenbrook South Rolling Meadows High School Saint Viator. Practice starts in a few days. Is that you?" He drew up game plans on Madden and took them to practice. Every morning, he helps with just about everything. The two coaches connected. The school sits on the western edge of Silicon Valley, just 5 miles from Apple's campus. But other than the tetra-amelia disorder, his son Rob was born a healthy baby boy. Subject: Johnny Appleseed 2019 P/SS. They run the play again. I might take two steps forward and then one step back. When the players met their new coach, the whispers began. They have to buy the fake. He insists he's fine, and we order beers. "Oh whatever," Mendez answers. "He's an inspiration to all of us," Alvernaz, said. Preston Gannaway for ESPN. I mention that it seems as if anything that reminds him of his physical challenges bugs him. I'm in Las Vegas and there's some guy stumbling drunk, looks like he was just in a fight. "You know how Ironman gets in his suit and he just starts flying everywhere? Mendez says it started with the Madden video game. As the clock approaches 11 p.m., he looks at his empty glass and asks for another drink. "I'm not afraid to be myself," he tells me later. . Mendez operates his cellphone, attached to a stand on his wheelchair, with his nose and lips. Embrace it. "It first actually came from a friend challenging me at an 8th grade dance," Mendez said. Aleksic, Danilo ( Fr.) When his friends went out for football his freshman year of high school, Rob became the team manager. I can work with people. Later, she would cover Rob in blankets when they went in public. But seven? He immediately snaps. on demand Sep 30, 2022 2:45 PM PDT. His jaw dropped. Copyright 2023 KGO-TV. 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. They chose to stay with him. "There's no way," he says. You hear stories about people with cancer, fighting for their lives. That's how I feel in my chair," he says. "I know that's there," he says. He has spent his life fighting statistics, proving doctors and doubters wrong. he says. It's almost midnight. On warmer days, he can get bed sores from sitting in the same position too long. "Said they wanted to move on without me," Mendez says. I love him. The last question is far more complicated. Eventually, he became the head coach of. A few minutes later, he asks if I can follow him home. Mendez gets a fist-to-shoulder bump from every Sobrato player. He reads, draws and spends extra time with family and friends. As he was not able to play football, Mendez taught himself the game by playing Madden football video games. I put Mendez on my shoulder, turn and then set him in the chair next to 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. McAvoy has been Mendez's caretaker for the past six years. Rob is no different." The receiver is open. 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