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 finished second. "I'm not afraid to be myself," he tells me later. "There's no way," he says. Rob would set his chin on the ledge of the next step and use that to lift his entire body. Shaving. As he was not able to play football, Mendez taught himself the game by playing Madden football video games. Doctors prepared her and her husband for the worst. 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. And his roommate is resting back at home, exhausted from a pair of Vegas nights. He says if he had arms and legs he has no idea how his life would be different. High School coach ticket pickup closes TWENTY minutes prior to kickoff. Coach Mendez. I think he needs them just as much. This is one of the worst falls. Elk Grove Village, IL. Push the limits. 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. The California Cool of Jared Goff Nobody but yourself can hold yourself back. His comes with a straw. 2. He asks his quarterback for a hug. Clay, Brock Powell, Bryant ( Fr.) One of the bartenders reminds him he's not supposed to have more than two drinks. 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. Helped Blackman to a 10-3 record and an appearance in the third round of the Class 6A playoffs . 31 years later, he's. THE COLLEGE COACHES AT THE COLLEGE COACHES SHOWCASE CAMP ARE ON THE FIELD ALL DAY How does he go to the bathroom? It's a move he makes countless times a day. I know what you're saying. Im fighting to have something to drink. His parents connected him with Vujicic, who Mendez said told him he could make $25,000 per night as a motivational speaker. 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. He can be stubborn. He tumbles forward. All Rights Reserved. So I try not to complain. ", Even if it were true, Mendez wouldn't look at things that way. Mendez orders a water. "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 wanted to leave by 9 p.m., but one conversation led to another. The football team won the 7A State Championship in 2001, 2002, and 2005. . Most days Mendez has chronic neck, back and shoulder pain. "I think every parent worries about their kids when they leave this earth," Bob says. One player quit because of Mendez. That's how I feel in my chair," he says. "Bugs the s--- out of me," he says. But Mendez won't give up that easily. They have to buy the fake. But here, he's in his element. 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 . The left side of his face slams into the concrete floor of the garage. The receiver is open. They sit in front of us, untouched, for nearly 10 minutes. So I try to stay positive. But I'm 30 years old and a JV high school football coach. Buddin is from Belleville, Michigan and was regarded as the 11th best player from the state during his senior year. Neither team has moved the ball all day, with the game's only points coming on a 35-yard Sobrato field goal three minutes earlier. "You know how Ironman gets in his suit and he just starts flying everywhere? I'm in Las Vegas and there's some guy stumbling drunk, looks like he was just in a fight. "I'm not going to lie. Bob rushes his son to the hospital. Copyright 2023 KGO-TV. "That's what I'm talking about!" His father has long wished that Rob would wear an upper belt as well as the one that wraps around his waist. But on this late July night, 30-year-old high school football coach Rob Mendez has a taste for sushi. Earlier in the day, Mendez flew home from Las Vegas, a 48-hour escape before the insanity of the season begins. THREE MONTHS AFTER we first met, Mendez and I are in another bar, this time in downtown Campbell. It's just natural to just be bold and try things in life. More SC Featured As the quarterback rolls out, the play unfolds perfectly. 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. Mendez struggles to deal with back and neck pain from spending all day in his chair. 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. "He was still in diapers," Bob says. How does he coach football? "If I can go out there and power through four or five hours, then I'm OK.", Says McAvoy: "That's just him. 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. But I don't know what else to say. Mendez rolls over to his dejected quarterback. "We have unfinished business.". Initially, Josie struggled. On this day, one of his freshman quarterbacks struggles to grasp the footwork on the 37 stretch. He tells his offense he believes in them. "It brings out the best in people. He scoffs. And anyone who has a problem with that, prove them wrong.'" He is 50 pounds of head, neck, torso and waist. "Oh whatever," Mendez answers. Preston Gannaway for ESPN "That's how humans are -- they adapt. In his chair, he is constantly shifting, twisting and adjusting his posture. As a senior, had 74 catches for 1,229 yards and 18 touchdowns . There, he drives his chair into the living room, where his roommate and caretaker, Mike McAvoy, waits on the couch. It took him more than a half hour - sometimes two steps up, one step down -- but he did it. Lobue, Joseph ( Fr.) Along the way, Cable invited Mendez's two best players to move to varsity. Email Melissa Feucht. The last question is far more complicated. 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. The lift mechanism on his wheelchair broke on the trip. They are teachers who coach on the side. "If I can go out there and power through four or five hours, then I'm OK." "I just think that me showing people that I can accomplish my goals, which actually still is not really completely fulfilled yet. "It brings out the best in people. We are all special. He drew up game plans on Madden and took them to practice. There is nothing to break his fall. "I'm not going to let that happen. 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 unbuckle the belt around his waist and weave it through the slits torn on the sides of his shirt. A very small percentage. "Those kids," he says, "gave me the feeling that I can do anything." How does he go to the bathroom? He absorbed everything he could. Mendez says it started with the Madden video game. He finished second. It feels as if everyone is staring. Bob eventually turned to alcohol. On this night, on the same field where this journey began, Mendez gathers his team one last time. Luis Lopez, the JV coach who worked with Mendez at the school, hugs Mendez. By Tuesday afternoon, he's back at Prospect for practice, apologizing to his players for Monday's absence. The lift mechanism on his wheelchair broke on the trip. As the clock approaches 11 p.m., he looks at his empty glass and asks for another drink. WVSN instantly reached out to the 2025 class [] WVSN instantly reached out to the 2025 class prospect to find out more about his talks with WVU offensive line coach Matt Moore and his current mindset about his future. "Thank you," he says to me after his first sip. I lean over, wrap my hands around him and lift him out of his chair. Its classrooms are a melting pot. Unofficial or official visit invites. Coach Mendez. I'm sorry. DeBoeuf could not be more honored to be chosen to replace Martindale. 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. "I use my neck like my arm," Mendez says. We'll get to that. He says thank you. The junior quarterback was 24-for-42 . But on this late July night, 30-year-old high school football coach Rob Mendez has a taste for sushi. And his roommate is resting back at home, exhausted from a pair of Vegas nights. I think back to something his pediatric physical therapist told me. The receiver is open. The players jog back to their positions. WITH LESS THAN two minutes remaining in the game, Prospect trails 3-0 facing a fourth-and-14 just inside Sobrato territory. "In life, I feel like I'm always being helped," he says. But Rob refuses because the upper belt limits his ability to access his phone and draw plays. That's how I feel in my chair," he says. St. Rita High School. The day is designed by college coaches in order to get the most out of everyone's time. The next day he spends almost entirely in bed, unable to open his eyes. "I appreciate you," Mendez says. When the final buzzer sounds, the players and coaches line up at the 50 to shake hands. They wanted Bob to see other babies born with disabilities. Can you lift me out of my chair?". We're going to fake it this way and then waggle out," he says. You're different. Mendez doesn't buy it. He has scoliosis, which makes his spine look far more like an "S" than the "I." "I just try to shut it down as quickly as possible.". I lift him out of his chair and carry him to my car, buckling him into the passenger's seat. "When an able-body person says that they can't do something, his greatest message is, 'who says I can't?' "The Super Bowl of JV football," he says. It just makes me mad.". On 10/28, the Prospect varsity football team won their neutral playoff game against Reavis (Burbank, IL) by a score of 62-13. You MUST have the correct code in order to receive tickets. 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. He's like Norm from "Cheers." He reads, draws and spends extra time with family and friends. 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. His comes with a straw. They run the play again. Mendez gains happiness and joy through helping others and that will be his message when he takes the podium for his acceptance speech. Watch Later. They run the play again. On warmer days, he can get bed sores from sitting in the same position too long. He can barely open his mouth. Embrace it. Follow him! He couldn't get enough. 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. . But he wonders whether the players have any idea what they've given him. has become a motto for the Prospect Football teams and, of course, for Mendez. "Said they wanted to move on without me," Mendez says. Preston Gannaway for ESPN. His resiliency inspired others around him and made it an asset to have him on the staff. 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. "It's just me." "But I don't think about this the same way everybody else does. 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. "I just wanted to coach football.". 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