I agree it's a small percentage. 2 QB and overall prospect by ESPN and is . ONE WEEK LATER, Prospect finishes its season 8-2 with a 19-13 victory over Yerba Buena. They just want to move, explore and live. The pain of the loss hurt, but it did not stop his fire. "Bugs the s--- out of me," he says. "I'm not afraid to be myself," he tells me later. But he hates the sidewalk. He started as a manager on his Gilroy High School team as a freshman. Instead, Mendez repeats two words over and over and over: thank you. It's the Friday night before Halloween. The next day he spends almost entirely in bed, unable to open his eyes. He hates talking about any of this. He absorbed everything he could. Things like that happen all the time. Follow him! 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. IN HIS 30 years, Mendez can't recall a single dream in which he has had arms or legs. He says he would consider prosthetics only if he ever became a father. How does he go to the bathroom? "I just try to shut it down as quickly as possible." As they head inside, Mendez looks back at me over McAvoy's shoulder. Embrace it. I swear. His greatest fear was failure. It happened at the end of his senior prom, when he tipped over the wheelchair ramp as he and his classmates were leaving. I unbuckle the belt around his waist and weave it through the slits torn on the sides of his shirt. This is one of the worst falls. Now he has everyone asking, "who says I can't? "There was one word my dad never liked -- special," Mendez says. I think back to something his pediatric physical therapist told me. For Rob, the message from his father was simple: Embrace your differences. 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. We are all special. She says she couldn't look at her son for the first couple of weeks. The 14-year-old wraps his arms tightly around Mendez's back. Georgia Tech Football allows high school football coaches to request two (2) complimentary tickets to attend regular season home football games. Push the limits. At the end of every day, I'm sore." Check out Bay Area safety tracker, Bay Area Life; Sundays at 6:30 p.m. on ABC7, Football coach born without arms or legs to receive Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at 2019 ESPYS, Rob Mendez accepts the 2019 Jimmy V Perseverance Award at the ESPYS on July 10. Rashada, a California high school star, returned home to the San Francisco suburb of Pittsburg instead of enrolling. In most cases of tetra-amelia, death occurs before birth. Most days Mendez has chronic neck, back and shoulder pain. Tired. She says she couldn't look at her son for the first couple of weeks. It's now a full-on escort -- a motorized wheelchair flanked by two cars with their hazards flashing. And different is not bad. What do you want people to say about this team? "Where you going, man?". Finally, after 13 years, he was able to get a job at Prospect High School in California as their high school football coach. He acknowledges that the attention is often uncomfortable. But at 24, I didn't really know what to do or say at the time." on demand Nov 20, 2021 4:00 PM PST. "I like the way I am, really," he says. More award-winning storytelling from SC Featured, One dog's remarkable journey to find a home, "Screw that," he says. "I like the way I am, really," he says. On this night, on the same field where this journey began, Mendez gathers his team one last time. We'll get to that. He even got to call some plays. "In a text message." Some might suggest he should be home, resting. Rob leans forward in his chair to reach his cell phone. The school they will face, Ann Sobrato, fired Mendez as an assistant three years earlier. Once buckled, Mendez says he feels unstoppable. 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. Bob hears the sound from a few feet away. The players jog back to their positions. "The Sobrato loss still bothers me," he says in February. James Hamann Assistant Coach: Paul Hennig Mascot(s): Knight School Administration Superintendent: Dr. David Schuler . That's not me," Mendez says. Mendez looks up as the quarterback's pass sails overhead. 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. I definitely want to be a varsity head coach, if not, advanced in the college career or the NFL. We are all special. I turned around, took two to three steps and then I heard it.". Practice starts in a few days. He learned to press the buttons with his chin and collarbone. "Get over here!" There's the answer he feels as if he should deliver. "Anything in the world that is worth doing, he's done it with his mind," Bob says. He has lived his entire life without arms and legs. After a few minutes of conversation, he seemed like any other football coach having a beer on a Friday night. Livingston told me Mendez's presence is living proof of what humans are capable of. He knows what he has given his team. 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. Blood runs everywhere. In high school, his friends organized a 32-team Madden tournament. Going to the bathroom. The battery on Mendez's wheelchair is dead, so two Panthers push him onto the field. "It sounds so ridiculous, but it's true," he says. Three-star prospect by 247Sports . It has given him a life otherwise inaccessible. If Rob sensed someone staring, he'd roll up and introduce himself. This time it's flawless. I mention that it seems as if anything that reminds him of his physical challenges bugs him. He knows what he has given his team. This is the first opportunity for college coaches and high school football players to interact directly with each other on the football field. He finished second. Watch Later. 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 appreciate you," Mendez says. Quote of the . But as soon as I met and spoke with him, the chair disappeared. For the last few minutes of our ride, we both keep quiet. "This was confirmation that you know what, I'm doing OK," he says. "It's 37 stretch, right? He can see how they've grown as players and people. And swimming. "I think it always will." was something that was very much for me to always stick with and I hope people take away from it in a positive way where they are comfortable to motivate themselves to do whatever they want in life.". He despises the word "special.". 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. In most cases of tetra-amelia, death occurs before birth. I was a little nervous about it," Cable says. Preston Gannaway for ESPN In the morning, he will coach the biggest game of his young career. And 26 percent of the school's students are economically disadvantaged. Because he weighs 50 pounds, alcohol affects him faster than people who weigh much more. His comes with a straw. Some might suggest he should be home, resting. 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. But I'm 30 years old and a JV high school football coach. All Rights Reserved. This is the opportunity he has waited 12 years for, the one he long felt he deserved but worried would never come. You MUST have the correct code in order to receive tickets. The green mile marker signs fly past on Highway 101. 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. "Just focus -- you got this.". On this day, one of his freshman quarterbacks struggles to grasp the footwork on the 37 stretch. "I'm sorry," he says. Randy Clark (class of 1975) . "So I try to stay positive. "He was still in diapers," Bob says. "It gives me this sense of independence." One player quit because of Mendez. After a few minutes of conversation, Cable believed he had his man. "Bugs the s--- out of me," he says. 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. Now comes the opportunity to prove the school made a mistake. Without his wheelchair working properly, he can't raise its height to sit next to me at the bar. High school coaches are notoriously hard to contact. They gave me a feeling of importance. He is mobile thanks to the chair he controls with his head and neck. "And you're risking it all by not wearing an upper belt." "You don't need to apologize," Mendez says. "Like a pancake hitting the ground. We end up talking for nearly three hours. Mendez makes a trip to a nearby shopping center for coffee. In fact, he will be honored at the 2019 ESPY Awards as the Jimmy V perseverance Award recipient and was on the cover of ESPN Magazine's heroes edition. And he knew what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. He is mobile thanks to the chair he controls with his head and neck. Bob rushes his son to the hospital. Make sense? And Mendez had the title he had achingly sought: head coach. Manning also ranks as the No. I hope that 'who says I can't?' That night he can't sleep. "It's only natural to never give up," Mendez said. That's how I feel in my chair," he says. The Illinois High School Association football playoff semifinals are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 20 and the championship games Friday, Nov. 26 and Saturday, Nov. 27. "I'm not going to let that happen. It is hard for college coaches to obtain rosters from high school coaches, and even harder to get them to hand over contact . As they head inside, Mendez looks back at me over McAvoy's shoulder. But on this late July night, 30-year-old high school football coach Rob Mendez has a taste for sushi. I'm not beautiful at all. I'm in Las Vegas and there's some guy stumbling drunk, looks like he was just in a fight. Mendez orders a water. And that includes getting on the officials when something doesn't go his way. Bennett, Will Cassaidy, Matthew Dietrich, Connor Konieczka, Sean ( Sr.) Letzig, Charles ( Fr.) Rob leans forward in his chair to reach his cell phone. "This is a defining moment for our program," Vierneisel said. Pub. Rob's parents tried to integrate him as early as they could, putting him in preschool at 18 months. He can be reached at wayne.drehs@espn.com. So I try not to complain. When the players met their new coach, the whispers began. And there's the reality of what he feels, but rarely reveals. The California Cool of Jared Goff The left side of his face slams into the concrete floor of the garage. Cable obliged. I mention that it seems as if anything that reminds him of his physical challenges bugs him. It's an image his brain can't compute. Mendez screams. It's an image his brain can't compute. . "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. 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. The team jogs over and surrounds him. But most importantly, it's given him an understanding of his journey in this world, a path untethered to anything anyone on the outside might say, think or believe. Preston Gannaway for ESPN And with that, in this world, I know I'm going to be all right." Confirmation/Rejection emails will be sent out by 1:00 PM Thursday letting you know if you are awarded tickets. "I think every parent worries about their kids when they leave this earth," Bob says. Prospect High School JV Football Coach Rob Mendez was born with a rare disorder that left him with no arms or legs. I love him. Preston Gannaway for ESPN "He told me that I couldn't go out there and dance with a girl. Preston Gannaway for ESPN How do you move a fully grown adult with no arms and legs? Eighteen players from each playoff class were named to the team. "You have to believe," he says. How does he eat? 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. I ask whether that thought bothers him. "I'm sorry," he says. "The one thing that I want people to see is just how hard work pays off," Mendez said. How does he coach football? I've always wanted to be a head coach.". They run the play again. 2. And buckling Rob into his chair. 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. But other than the tetra-amelia disorder, his son Rob was born a healthy baby boy. 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. He drew up game plans on Madden and took them to practice. "We live and die. Alvernaz hired Mendez to be on his staff, but then followed Mendez to Prospect to be his number two. "I just wanted to coach football." He can be stubborn. He doesn't listen to the doctors like he should. And 26 percent of the school's students are economically disadvantaged. He draws and writes with his mouth. His parents connected him with Vujicic, who Mendez said told him he could make $25,000 per night as a motivational speaker. If all goes well, a receiver should be open about 15 yards downfield right in front of the Prospect sideline. With the pen, Mendez draws the X's and O's of what the play is supposed to look like and why. "I know that's there," he says. Still does. SARATOGA, Calif. (KGO) -- Bay Area high school football coach Rob Mendez was born with a rare disorder called tetra-amelia syndrome, leaving him with no arms or legs. College Football Prospect ID events are the first premier event following the 2022 high school and college football seasons. ", In the months that follow, Mendez unplugs from football. ! I unbuckle the belt around his waist and weave it through the slits torn on the sides of his shirt. "It's just me." Make sure to check your junk mail folder if you do not receive an email . Congratulations to @ProspectXCTF Coach Pete Wintermute on his @ITCCCA XC Coach of the Year and the Track Coach of the Year!!! Mendez calls his last timeout. He scoffs. "Put me on your shoulder," he says. This ensures that the coaches can spend quality time with all players attending and are not overwhelmed with large camp numbers. I'd completely forgotten that Mendez can't feed himself. Michael Furlong CTE Teacher, AVID Elective Teacher. "I love you, bro. "I kept thinking, 'How can this guy possibly coach?'" IT'S THE BIGGEST weekend of the year in Gilroy, California, with more than 100,000 people visiting for the annual garlic festival. And now for Odell Beckham Jr's next act Eventually you will come across your passion and for me it was football and working with people. 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. Now comes the opportunity to prove the school made a mistake. THREE MONTHS AFTER we first met, Mendez and I are in another bar, this time in downtown Campbell. Mendez didn't care. The school sits on the western edge of Silicon Valley, just 5 miles from Apple's campus. Fore was named to the Hudl Top 100 in 2017, and the Top 5 Best High School Football Coaches to follow on Twitter by MaxPreps in 2016. He tells his offense he believes in them. But it isn't that simple. Going to the bathroom. Embrace it. Most days Mendez has chronic neck, back and shoulder pain. An assistant coach holds a whiteboard a few inches in front of Mendez. Helped North Kansas City to a . "His mind is the greatest thing," Prospect JV Assistant Defensive Coordinator Todd Livingston said. He has lived his entire life without arms and legs. But on this late July night, 30-year-old high school football coach Rob Mendez has a taste for sushi. It's society that imposes that grief. I've been a 2 year starter on the varsity football team. To feel comfortable. But this time, he has no idea the belt around his waist isn't buckled. 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. And with that, in this world, I know I'm going to be all right.". He doesn't listen. But it isn't that simple. "It gives me this sense of independence. 50/50 raffle will be available as well as over 20 beers on tap . "I guess you saw a little bit of the other side tonight. Tolliver, Malachi i, e Easter, Noah ( So.) "Hey," he says, "Would you mind giving me a hand and putting one of those in my mouth?" I don't want to be put on a pedestal. I swear. Preston Gannaway for ESPN. "Said they wanted to move on without me," Mendez says. His parents connected him with Vujicic, who Mendez said told him he could make $25,000 per night as a motivational speaker. "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.'" he says. That's not me," Mendez says. The football team won the 7A State Championship in 2001, 2002, and 2005. . Being personally invited for a visit indicates clear interest from a coach. Email Michael Furlong. His comes with a straw. "Hey," he says, "Would you mind giving me a hand and putting one of those in my mouth?". When his friends went out for football his freshman year of high school, Rob became the team manager. he says. 1 poison. 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. Cable obliged. Elk Grove Village, IL. I just want to be Coach Rob. Not until he nearly received a DUI driving Rob's handicapped accessible van did he realize the path he was on. H.S. So I try not to complain. It's just natural to just be bold and try things in life. "But I don't think about this the same way everybody else does," he says. After a few minutes of conversation, he seemed like any other football coach having a beer on a Friday night. "We live and die." One of the bartenders reminds him he's not supposed to have more than two drinks. Every morning, he helps with just about everything. They just want to move, explore and live. He never quit and now he has everyone asking, "Who says I can't?". Like us on Facebook to see similar stories Please give an overall site rating . Without his wheelchair working properly, he can't raise its height to sit next to me at the bar. Good s--- you've done with those kids. Rob's father saw potential in the happy, spunky baby, but also wrestled with his own emotions, admitting he often asked God "why?" I lean over, wrap my hands around him and lift him out of his chair. He has scoliosis, which makes his spine look far more like an "S" than the "I." "By the time I was a senior in high school I was wearing a headset with the coaches and listening to them," he said. The season begins in a month. "We are two very different people. Mendez leans forward in his chair. The next day he spends almost entirely in bed, unable to open his eyes. We're going to fake it this way and then waggle out," he says. For now, I start with a topic far simpler: football. "Complaining is my No. 3 quarterback, and No. And anyone who has a problem with that, prove them wrong.'" He absorbed everything he could. "Special is bulls---. Martindale has been the Prospect boys' athletic director since 2005, and has been teaching at the school for 20 years. "It brings out the best in people. The interview began with Mendez asking Cable for a fist bump on the shoulder. This time it's flawless. Copyright 2023 KGO-TV. Practice starts in a few days. As the clock approaches 11 p.m., he looks at his empty glass and asks for another drink. Prospect Football History Previous Seasons All-Time Roster 2022-23 ( 183 players) Head Coach: Morales, Joseph ( Fr.) Make sense?" You hear stories about people with cancer, fighting for their lives. Mendez was born with tetra-amelia syndrome, which left him without arms or legs. 803-777-0365 or USCFootball@sc.edu. 1. On warmer days, he can get bed sores from sitting in the same position too long. On Feb. 23, Dan DeBoeuf, the former head coach at Johnsburg High School was named the head coach of Prospect. The World Series is on television. So I follow him in the bike lane, hazards on. Mendez didn't care. It has given him a life otherwise inaccessible. They have to buy the fake. High School coach ticket pickup closes TWENTY minutes prior to kickoff. They tell Rob he can't coach for at least four weeks. And ended each practice with the same message: I love you guys. "As he approached, I didn't know how he could be a football coach. Mendez gives me directions. Only football coach requests will be accepted. I love you, man," Lopez says. A young boy holds open the door as Mendez approaches his favorite spot. Now, he inspires others to be strong and never give up despite adversity. 14 prospect in the state of Tennessee . But I don't know what else to say. 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 How does he coach football? But Rob refuses because the upper belt limits his ability to access his phone and draw plays. "They would whisper," he says. Class 8A Sean Allison,. How does he sleep? This ensures that the coaches can spend quality time with all players attending and are not overwhelmed with large camp numbers. I am a junior at City High School. Mendez was born with tetra-amelia syndrome, a rare congenital disorder that prevents the formation of limbs during embryonic development. And because of Rob's lack of limbs, his father says he retains 30 percent more heat than someone who has arms and legs. He rolls in wearing a plain white T-shirt and faded red San Francisco 49ers hat. 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. 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. However, the phrase was not born on the gridiron. Also by Wayne Drehs: Grounds for Return. 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. But I'm 30 years old and a JV high school football coach. "You know how Ironman gets in his suit and he just starts flying everywhere? Work Environment Part-time work is common for coaches and scouts. There's the answer he feels as if he should deliver. College Football Prospect ID events are the first premier event following the 2022 high school and college football seasons. 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. The coach. One thing the boy clearly didn't lack: confidence. I love the feeling when I lift kids up. 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. It's only junior varsity. The coach nods and says "thank you.". He despises the word "special." He put the name into Google. Shaving. The battery on Mendez's wheelchair is dead, so two Panthers push him onto the field. "Let's get to the bottom of it. Encouraged the group to play for their teammates. Nearby shopping center for coffee time with all players attending and are not overwhelmed with large camp numbers but this! Jared Goff the left side of his young career prospect high school football coaches ca n't ``. Conversation, he has no idea the belt around his waist is n't buckled coach... Be Put on a pedestal both keep quiet be his number two this sense of.. 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