"I was drinking to forget. Because he weighs 50 pounds, alcohol affects him faster than people who weigh much more. And anyone who has a problem with that, prove them wrong.'" "If I can go out there and power through four or five hours, then I'm OK.", Says McAvoy: "That's just him. I'm fighting to have something to drink. He despises the word "special.". "How in the world am I supposed to handle that?" I don't sign up for being inspirational Rob." Mendez took over as the coach for Prospect Highs JV team, and led his players to an incredible 8-2 season. Mendez looks up as the quarterback's pass sails overhead. "I love you, bro. And Mendez had the title he had achingly sought: head coach. When the final buzzer sounds, the players and coaches line up at the 50 to shake hands. Its classrooms are a melting pot. "But I don't think about this the same way everybody else does," he says. "There's no way," he says. In most cases of tetra-amelia, death occurs before birth. He sees me, and he stands up straight and pulls himself together so he can open the door for me. I think back to something his pediatric physical therapist told me. He couldn't get enough. He doesn't listen to the doctors like he should. Later, she would cover Rob in blankets when they went in public. Rob is no 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. They gave me a feeling of importance. There have been opportunities over the years to pursue prosthetic limbs, but he has turned them all down. "Think about it. Tolliver, Malachi i, e Easter, Noah ( So.) He developed a great football mind, but he wanted more. He insists he's fine, and we order beers. "I've always been someone to be not afraid of failure," Mendez said. "I'm pretty good at dealing with pain, and I didn't want to stay home feeling sorry for myself," he says. This ensures that the coaches can spend quality time with all players attending and are not overwhelmed with large camp numbers. His greatest fear was failure. "Said they wanted to move on without me," Mendez says. Three other players start chitchatting between reps. Mendez loses it. 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. And that's special because sometimes in this world, on a day-to-day basis, I wish I could do more. ONE WEEK LATER, Prospect finishes its season 8-2 with a 19-13 victory over Yerba Buena. This standout in-state offensive lineman is staying in touch with Clemson's O-line coach. "You know how it is." Mendez tries to explain, but the kid doesn't get it. "It was just it was horrible," Bob says. It's now a full-on escort -- a motorized wheelchair flanked by two cars with their hazards flashing. Aleksic, Danilo ( Fr.) Unofficial or official visit invites. and Head Coaches) Prospect High School 801 W. Kensington Rd. You guys fought your butts off. But coaches on his staff says he only used that as an opportunity to teach and motivate once again. He scoffs. They have to buy the fake. Work Environment Part-time work is common for coaches and scouts. But as soon as I met and spoke with him, the chair disappeared. "They would whisper," he says. Practice starts in a few days. He can be stubborn. 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 You May Also Be Interested In 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. So I follow him in the bike lane, hazards on. And just like that, the man who so often projects like everything is fine rips off his facade. He says thank you. "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. The 6-foot-4, 185-pounder completed 60.1% of his passes last season for 5,275 . The battery on his wheelchair is dead, and he wants to charge it at school overnight. "And you're risking it all by not wearing an upper belt.". "It sounds so ridiculous, but it's true," he says. Prospect Info. Blood runs everywhere. Rob leans forward in his chair to reach his cell phone. Mendez learned to diagram plays by using a pen in his mouth. "Oh whatever," Mendez answers. He's like Norm from "Cheers." "Complaining is my No. Preston Gannaway for ESPN They chose to stay with him. College Football Prospect ID events are the first premier event following the 2022 high school and college football seasons. 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. He learned how to draw and write using his mouth. Now comes the opportunity to prove the school made a mistake. I mention that one of the themes I'm thinking about for his story is this idea of a beautiful mind. This can cost you more than just money. Also by Wayne Drehs: Grounds for Return. 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. Shaving. Lewis Hamilton living the hell out of life, Jalen Ramsey: The man, the mouth, the legend. can show people to be happy with who you are and hopefully they understand the true meaning of it which is believing in yourself.". 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. But Mendez doesn't care about that. Now he has everyone asking, "who says I can't? But here, he's in his element. He doesn't listen. He is mobile thanks to the chair he controls with his head and neck. That sentiment has been followed by so many other coaches that he came across in his career. Confirmation/Rejection emails will be sent out by 1:00 PM Thursday letting you know if you are awarded tickets. Embrace it. "Those kids," he says, "gave me the feeling that I can do anything." 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 an accomplishment to the public because I have no arms and legs, but the reality is I'm not accomplished. Bennett, Will Cassaidy, Matthew Dietrich, Connor Konieczka, Sean ( Sr.) Letzig, Charles ( Fr.) 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. It's only junior varsity. And he knew what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. Physically, Mendez is unlike any other high school football coach in the U.S. Mentally and emotionally, he's no different. 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. I love you, man," Lopez says. High school coaches are notoriously hard to contact. One dog's remarkable journey to find a home "It didn't take long for me to figure out that alcohol is not the answer.". I love when the kids say 'nobody', because it's true. If all goes well, a receiver should be open about 15 yards downfield right in front of the Prospect sideline. Despite the fast changeover, coaches and players are ready for a full 9-game season. And buckling Rob into his chair. The school they will face, Ann Sobrato, fired Mendez as an assistant three years earlier. It doesn't lead to a good place. The 14-year-old wraps his arms tightly around Mendez's back. Mendez didn't care. On convenience alone, it would have been the perfect place for him to coach forever. Mendez leans forward in his chair. "I guess you saw a little bit of the other side tonight. ESPN, 247Sports and Rivals all rank the 5-10, 170-pound receiver as a four-star prospect but his high school coach, former UK defensive back Maurice "Moe" Douglass, is not sure that does him justice. Preston Gannaway for ESPN, A FEW MINUTES after our first beer, a bartender brings Mendez a plate of California rolls. This is one of the worst falls. The interview began with Mendez asking Cable for a fist bump on the shoulder. Wilky DenaudDefensive Line - High School: Four-star prospect along the defensive line who as a senior helped the John Carroll Rams and Coach Mickey Groody to a I turned around, took two to three steps and then I heard it." Blood runs everywhere. How did someone who has never thrown a ball, caught a pass or tackled anyone become a head coach? ", RELATED: Football coach born without arms or legs to receive Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at 2019 ESPYS, "'Who says I can't?' I panic. This is the first opportunity for college coaches and high school football players to interact directly with each other on the football field. He needs to use the bathroom. The quarterback removes the cap from a blue dry erase pen and puts it in Mendez's mouth. His comes with a straw. To feel comfortable. He immediately snaps. "We are two very different people. In a little more than 12 hours, Prospect will play for the league JV championship. On this night, on the same field where this journey began, Mendez gathers his team one last time. I saw in front of me a man who loved football and kids. "I'm not going to lie. It feels as if everyone is staring. McAvoy has been Mendez's caretaker for the past six years. It isn't the first time Rob has fallen out of his chair. He says he would consider prosthetics only if he ever became a father. It gives me this sense of independence., Sign up for the For The Win newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. It's just natural to just be bold and try things in life. There, he drives his chair into the living room, where his roommate and caretaker, Mike McAvoy, waits on the couch. It's the second day of the team's sleep-at-school preseason camp, and the coach is trying to install one of his favorite plays: the 37 stretch. This ensures that the coaches can spend quality time with all players attending and are not overwhelmed with large camp numbers. "Yes!" On this night, on the same field where this journey began, Mendez gathers his team one last time. He says they need him, but you know what? I stuff a pad between him and the chair back -- paranoid he could fall. Follow him! I'm fighting to have something to drink. Brushing teeth. 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. Buddin is from Belleville, Michigan and was regarded as the 11th best player from the state during his senior year. And different is not bad. 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