His team is a mix of freshmen and sophomores, some with a bit of experience, most with little to none. 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. This is one of the worst falls. It's society that imposes that grief. Head Coach: Dan DeBoeuf Assistant Coach: Tim Beishir, Jeff Collier, Matt Weber, Jim Argentine, Dan Keller Brock Collins, Sean Cummins Matt Weber Jeff Collier Jim Argentine Michael Watson Dominic Cannon Mike Naboltny Tom Whalen Erik Hammerstrom Dan Yeoman Shaun Cummins Dan Keller School Administration Principal: Greg Minter Athletic Director: Omar Alebiosu Athletic Secretary: Amy Nickel School Color: Columbia and Navy Nick Name: Knights Mendez tries to explain, but the kid doesn't get it. Who says I can't?'". I suggest we move to a lower table and make things easier. How did someone who has never thrown a ball, caught a pass or tackled anyone become a head coach? Because he weighs 50 pounds, alcohol affects him faster than people who weigh much more. Not until he nearly received a DUI driving Rob's handicapped accessible van did he realize the path he was on. Rob's parents tried to integrate him as early as they could, putting him in preschool at 18 months. 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'm not the perfect guy. "Hey," he says, "Would you mind giving me a hand and putting one of those in my mouth?". Prospect High School ( PHS) is a public high school in Saratoga, California, United States. And because of Rob's lack of limbs, his father says he retains 30 percent more heat than someone who has arms and legs. ONE WEEK LATER, Prospect finishes its season 8-2 with a 19-13 victory over Yerba Buena. "Where you going, man?". 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. I don't sign up for being inspirational Rob." Its classrooms are a melting pot. That's what I've realized over the years.". Bob rushes his son to the hospital. He finished second. Helped North Kansas City to a . "That's how humans are -- they adapt. "No, no, no," he says. In his chair, he is constantly shifting, twisting and adjusting his posture. By his senior year, he worked his way up to quarterbacks coach. He can be stubborn. We're going to fake it this way and then waggle out," he says. This is why WVU has already extended an offer to the Pickerington Central High School product from Ohio. For now, I start with a topic far simpler: football. We end up talking for nearly three hours. Make sense? "I'm sitting right there at the bar next to you. Mendez gives me directions. 14 prospect in the state of Tennessee . I know what you're saying. He says if he had arms and legs he has no idea how his life would be different. 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. "And you're risking it all by not wearing an upper belt.". I just knew he was the right man for the job.". How could someone who had never held a football teach a freshman how to throw, tackle or block? Bennett, Will Cassaidy, Matthew Dietrich, Connor Konieczka, Sean ( Sr.) Letzig, Charles ( Fr.) At that point, she says, abortion wasn't an option. 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 battery on Mendez's wheelchair is dead, so two Panthers push him onto the field. He absorbed everything he could. 1 poison. How does he sleep? WITH LESS THAN two minutes remaining in the game, Prospect trails 3-0 facing a fourth-and-14 just inside Sobrato territory. Now, he inspires others to be strong and never give up despite adversity. "It's just me." "Who says I can't?" "So I try to stay positive. "Thank you," he says to me after his first sip. Mendez screams. In less than a minute he introduces himself, then me and strikes up a conversation. has become a motto for the Prospect Football teams and, of course, for Mendez. I just want to be Coach Rob. How does he eat? The interview began with Mendez asking Cable for a fist bump on the shoulder. 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 Rob refuses because the upper belt limits his ability to access his phone and draw plays. I stuff a pad between him and the chair back -- paranoid he could fall. I panic. I make mistakes. "It sounds so ridiculous, but it's true," he says. By his senior year, he worked his way up to quarterbacks coach. And Mendez had the title he had achingly sought: head coach. One dog's remarkable journey to find a home "I know that's there," he says. By Tuesday afternoon, he's back at Prospect for practice, apologizing to his players for Monday's absence. But on this late July night, 30-year-old high school football coach Rob Mendez has a taste for sushi. How does he coach football? Im fighting to have something to drink. "Hey," he says, "Would you mind giving me a hand and putting one of those in my mouth?" In his first full season as head coach, he led the Panthers to a playoff birth and a near-perfect season. "Said they wanted to move on without me," Mendez says. We make it to his home. Rio Fujita Math Wizard. 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. "I'm sitting right there at the bar next to you. 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. I don't want to be put on a pedestal. Mendez looks up as the quarterback's pass sails overhead. Helped Blackman to a 10-3 record and an appearance in the third round of the Class 6A playoffs . He has heard it from their parents and teachers. And to just kill the pain," he says. Email Michael Furlong. ESPN producer Kristen Lappas directed the SC Featured documentary, available on ESPN+. I can adjust to anything that's thrown my way. He reads, draws and spends extra time with family and friends. "And the muscles in your neck are not supposed to be used that often. The other kids are special, too. After a few minutes of conversation, he seemed like any other football coach having a beer on a Friday night. "I like the way I am, really," he says. For Rob, the message from his father was simple: Embrace your differences. Later, she would cover Rob in blankets when they went in public. 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. Only football coach requests will be accepted. 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. After his speech, Mendez asks for a ride home. I suggest we move to a lower table and make things easier. Along the way, Cable invited Mendez's two best players to move to varsity. As the clock approaches 11 p.m., he looks at his empty glass and asks for another drink. ", Mendez struggles to deal with back and neck pain from spending all day in his chair. 1 poison," he says. Otherwise it won't work. "This is a defining moment for our program," Vierneisel said. Now he has everyone asking, "who says I can't? I agree it's a small percentage. Eating breakfast. I pick up a fork, stab it into the roll, drag it through a puddle of soy sauce and put it in his mouth. "It's only natural to never give up," Mendez said. I love that. Now comes the opportunity to prove the school made a mistake. Watch Later. It's the Friday night before Halloween. On this day, one of his freshman quarterbacks struggles to grasp the footwork on the 37 stretch. And with that, in this world, I know I'm going to be all right." I don't sign up for being inspirational Rob.". But this time, he has no idea the belt around his waist isn't buckled. A young boy holds open the door as Mendez approaches his favorite spot. 2021 IHSA Football Playoffs. Because he weighs 50 pounds, alcohol affects him faster than people who weigh much more. ESPN producer Kristen Lappas directed the SC Featured documentary, available on ESPN+. A very small percentage. I lift him out of his chair and carry him to my car, buckling him into the passenger's seat. He acknowledges that the attention is often uncomfortable. High school coaches are notoriously hard to contact. Still does. The 6-foot-4, 185-pounder completed 60.1% of his passes last season for 5,275 . He scoffs. he yells. But later he acknowledges he hated having to ask for help. The throw is too long, and the ball harmlessly caroms out of bounds. I lean over, wrap my hands around him and lift him out of his chair. Tolliver, Malachi i, e Easter, Noah ( So.) This ensures that the coaches can spend quality time with all players attending and are not overwhelmed with large camp numbers. 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. An assistant coach holds a whiteboard a few inches in front of Mendez. Along the way, Cable invited Mendez's two best players to move to varsity. "In a text message.". But on this late July night, 30-year-old high school football coach Rob Mendez has a taste for sushi. They have to buy the fake. The other kids are special, too. That man was Mike Cable. "I was drinking to forget. He says thank you. On this night, on the same field where this journey began, Mendez gathers his team one last time. But other than the tetra-amelia disorder, his son Rob was born a healthy baby boy. "You know how Ironman gets in his suit and he just starts flying everywhere? He demanded respect, eye contact and accountability. And buckling Rob into his chair. He finished second. "His mind is the greatest thing," Prospect JV Assistant Defensive Coordinator Todd Livingston said. Combing hair. "Anything in the world that is worth doing, he's done it with his mind," Bob says. He draws and writes with his mouth. 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