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 players jog back to their positions. I know what you're saying. The battery on Mendez's wheelchair is dead, so two Panthers push him onto the field. Taking a bath. How did someone who has never thrown a ball, caught a pass or tackled anyone become a head coach? The next day he spends almost entirely in bed, unable to open his eyes. He learned how to draw and write using his mouth. "It first actually came from a friend challenging me at an 8th grade dance," Mendez said. Once buckled, Mendez says he feels unstoppable. "It's just me." Along the way, Cable invited Mendez's two best players to move to varsity. Preston Gannaway for ESPN. Mendez calls his last timeout. She says she couldn't look at her son for the first couple of weeks. But at 24, I didn't really know what to do or say at the time." Ditas Faraon Buhler Science Teacher. But this time, he has no idea the belt around his waist isn't buckled. Three other players start chitchatting between reps. Mendez loses it. 2. We'll get to that. It's a testament to his ability to be comfortable in any surrounding and put strangers at ease. Watch Later. "I kept thinking, 'How can this guy possibly coach?'" After. They run the play again. Now the entire Prospect program circles around Mendez at midfield. When his players ask what happened, he tells them he got into a fight with the pavement. Watch Later. Mendez gives me directions. 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. Rob's parents tried to integrate him as early as they could, putting him in preschool at 18 months. Melissa Feucht English Department Chair. 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. And there's the reality of what he feels, but rarely reveals. As the clock approaches 11 p.m., he looks at his empty glass and asks for another drink. Most days Mendez has chronic neck, back and shoulder pain. 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. Getting dressed. In less than a minute he introduces himself, then me and strikes up a conversation. I'm proud of everyone. 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. 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. "That's what I'm talking about!" If all goes well, a receiver should be open about 15 yards downfield right in front of the Prospect sideline. 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've been getting messages on Twitter . A young boy holds open the door as Mendez approaches his favorite spot. We'll get to that. And with that, in this world, I know I'm going to be all right.". The quarterback removes the cap from a blue dry erase pen and puts it in Mendez's mouth. As the clock approaches 11 p.m., he looks at his empty glass and asks for another drink. But he's always there for the kids. I should have a wife by now. Next year you'll be back in it, believe me." At the end of every day, I'm sore.". He is 50 pounds of head, neck, torso and waist. "Bugs the s--- out of me," he says. Rob leans forward in his chair to reach his cell phone. "Honestly, when I first hired him at Sobrato High School, I knew he was something special. The time away from football has given Mendez a chance to reflect on his first season as a head coach. Email Melissa Feucht. Jalen Ramsey: The man, the mouth, the legend The green mile marker signs fly past on Highway 101. 3 quarterback, and No. On this night, on the same field where this journey began, Mendez gathers his team one last time. This life it just isn't always easy. He rolls in wearing a plain white T-shirt and faded red San Francisco 49ers hat. Its classrooms are a melting pot. "It didn't take long for me to figure out that alcohol is not the answer.". He says if he had arms and legs he has no idea how his life would be different. I'd completely forgotten that Mendez can't feed himself. In less than a minute he introduces himself, then me and strikes up a conversation. On convenience alone, it would have been the perfect place for him to coach forever. Also by Wayne Drehs: Grounds for Return. The football team won the 7A State Championship in 2001, 2002, and 2005. . But I'm 30 years old and a JV high school football coach. The day-to-day blanks are easy for him to fill in. That's how I feel in my chair," he says. I don't focus on it." "It sounds so ridiculous, but it's true," he says. "Special is bulls---. 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. Where do I put my hands? I swear I buckled him in. "Anything in the world that is worth doing, he's done it with his mind," Bob says. It seems like no big deal. "By the time I was a senior in high school I was wearing a headset with the coaches and listening to them," he said. ", Mendez hopes to someday have the opportunity to coach varsity. Prior to arriving at Prospect, Martindale was at Wheeling High School for 14 years. Lewis Hamilton living the hell out of life, Jalen Ramsey: The man, the mouth, the legend. Mendez hopes to someday have the opportunity to coach varsity. He insists he's fine, and we order beers. He tells his offense he believes in them. I can adjust to anything that's thrown my way. He absorbed everything he could. Tears begin to fall. The season has been a greater success than Mendez could have imagined. He insists he's fine, and we order beers. Now the entire Prospect program circles around Mendez at midfield. High School coach ticket pickup closes TWENTY minutes prior to kickoff. He needs to use the bathroom. I just want to be Coach Rob. The 14-year-old wraps his arms tightly around Mendez's back. He can barely open his mouth. He even got to call some plays. He asks his quarterback for a hug. Mendez picks a spot at the bar next to two women. With a dream of one day becoming a head football coach, Mendez worked for years as an assistant at various schools, until he was finally given the opportunity he'd been working for. A few minutes later, he asks if I can follow him home. But Mendez won't give up that easily. by Elk Grove. He's had people who hear his story and then approach him in tears. We offer the best pricing for sports recruiting videos on the internet and our turnaround time is usually 48 hours or less! It's almost midnight. Mendez is hungry. It confirmed how much he despises losing. How does he coach football? Coach Mendez. And to just kill the pain," he says. Email Ditas Faraon Buhler. I just want to prove them wrong." I swear. His greatest fear was failure. A few minutes later, he asks if I can follow him home. Bennett, Will Cassaidy, Matthew Dietrich, Connor Konieczka, Sean ( Sr.) Letzig, Charles ( Fr.) This ensures that the coaches can spend quality time with all players attending and are not overwhelmed with large camp numbers. They tell Rob he can't coach for at least four weeks. Is that you?" 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 swimming. "The Sobrato loss still bothers me," he says in February. Mendez struggles to deal with back and neck pain from spending all day in his chair. Without his wheelchair working properly, he can't raise its height to sit next to me at the bar. I ask whether that thought bothers him. "I think every parent worries about their kids when they leave this earth," Bob says. And yeah, of course that's frustrating." More SC Featured And because of Rob's lack of limbs, his father says he retains 30 percent more heat than someone who has arms and legs. "Where you going, man?" "How in the world am I supposed to handle that?" I think he needs them just as much." I love him. "You know how it is." I haven't graduated college yet. . Still does. I love you, man," Lopez says. A young boy holds open the door as Mendez approaches his favorite spot. What do you want out of this year? The 6-foot-4, 185-pounder completed 60.1% of his passes last season for 5,275 . When his players ask what happened, he tells them he got into a fight with the pavement. Subject: Johnny Appleseed 2019 P/SS. Can you lift me out of my chair?" They wanted Bob to see other babies born with disabilities. It's just natural to just be bold and try things in life. Getting dressed. As he was not able to play football, Mendez taught himself the game by playing Madden football video games. "I don't think I could do that to those kids," he says. "There's no way," he says. The positiveness of your mind can get you to do unbelievable things and feats and that's what he does.". This is the opportunity he has waited 12 years for, the one he long felt he deserved but worried would never come. 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 knows what he has given his team. Eating breakfast. I don't sign up for being inspirational Rob.". But he's always there for the kids. "I got it. Scouts evaluate athletes as possible recruits. Rio Fujita Math Wizard. "I'm pretty good at dealing with pain, and I didn't want to stay home feeling sorry for myself," he says. And different is not bad. I tell him that's the most honest he's been in our time together. "I appreciate you," Mendez says. "The Super Bowl of JV football," he says. He immediately snaps. In the months that follow, Mendez unplugs from football. "Put me on your shoulder," he says. '", Mendez taught himself the game of football by playing Madden on a PlayStation, using his chin and collarbone to push the buttons. Rashada, a California high school star, returned home to the San Francisco suburb of Pittsburg instead of enrolling. Doctors prepared her and her husband for the worst. "You have to believe," he says. "I use my neck like my arm," Mendez says. One dog's remarkable journey to find a home "I was drinking to forget. Prospect High School. Mendez rolls over to his dejected quarterback. Prospect High School Football team golf tournament and smoked BBQ fundraiser! Going to the bathroom. He's like Norm from "Cheers." This time it's flawless. I mention that one of the themes I'm thinking about for his story is this idea of a beautiful mind. High school coaches are notoriously hard to contact. What if I drop him? Finally, after 13 years, he was able to get a job at Prospect High School in California as their high school football coach. Aleksic, Danilo ( Fr.) When his friends went out for football his freshman year of high school, Rob became the team manager. The school sits on the western edge of Silicon Valley, just 5 miles from Apple's campus. he says. This is one of the worst falls. Now he has everyone asking, "who says I can't? "It's only natural to never give up," Mendez said. H.S. 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. ", Mendez leans forward in his chair. Mendez says it started with the Madden video game. Livingston told me Mendez's presence is living proof of what humans are capable of. He can see how they've grown as players and people. Some newborns survive only a few hours or days. Now comes the opportunity to prove the school made a mistake. For now, he's still glowing from the impact his team had on him in his first JV season. Mendez acknowledges that his presence has had a positive impact on people. He learned to press the buttons with his chin and collarbone. 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. Combing hair. Full-time coaches may work more than 40 hours a week for several months during the sports season. "There was one word my dad never liked -- special," Mendez says. He has scoliosis, which makes his spine look far more like an "S" than the "I." Earlier in the day, Mendez flew home from Las Vegas, a 48-hour escape before the insanity of the season begins. He demanded respect, eye contact and accountability. "Think about it. Manning also ranks as the No. ", He acknowledges that the attention is often uncomfortable. ( Google map, other maps) Mt. "Hey," he says, "Would you mind giving me a hand and putting one of those in my mouth?" It doesn't lead to a good place. A young boy holds open the door as Mendez approaches his favorite spot. Preston Gannaway for ESPN He hates talking about any of this. Mendez orders a water. Elk Grove Village, IL. Mendez learned to diagram plays by using a pen in his mouth. "We live and die." Tears begin to fall. "You know how Ironman gets in his suit and he just starts flying everywhere? I lift him out of his chair and carry him to my car, buckling him into the passenger's seat. "They gave me the feeling of being the helper. And Lewis Hamilton living the hell out of life. "Home," he answers. He says thank you. "Those kids," he says, "gave me the feeling that I can do anything." The other kids are special, too. 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. And that includes getting on the officials when something doesn't go his way. Holding court, triggering laughs and helping people realize for a few minutes that a man in a wheelchair without arms and legs is just like anyone else. His head drops. It has given him a life otherwise inaccessible. he says. THREE MONTHS AFTER we first met, Mendez and I are in another bar, this time in downtown Campbell. How does he sleep? . It doesnt lead to a good place. Rob is no different.". He's a great guy and I'll go to the end of the earth for him.". But this time, he has no idea the belt around his waist isn't buckled. "Oh whatever," Mendez answers. "How in the world am I supposed to handle that?" Complaining is my No. Like us on Facebook to see similar stories Please give an overall site rating . He finished second. "So I try to stay positive. 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. 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