Coach Rob mendez
Rob Mendez sounds like any other football coach on any other field across America — passionate, authoritative, knowledgeable — but he is like no other coach you know. Born without limbs, an extremely rare condition called Tetra-amelia, Coach Rob has been beating the odds for 30 years.
Mendez moves in a custom-made wheelchair that he operates with his shoulders. On the football field, Coach Rob diagrams plays on a smartphone attached to the chair, using a stylus that he maneuvers with his mouth. Coach Rob first learned football-playing Madden video games, and that is just one incredible detail of his remarkable story.
Coach Rob Mendez was honored at the 2019 ESPY’s with the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance. His inspirational story caught the nation’s attention and following the ESPY’s Coach Rob made appearances on Rachel Ray, NFL Network, ESPN, and more. Mendez was Honored at Tribeca Film Festival and appeared in Google’s “Year in Search Video” which was viewed over 150,000,000 times.
2019 Jimmy V Award winner
Rob's acceptance speech for the Jimmy V Award touched the hearts of millions as he shared his powerful message of perseverance and belief in oneself. His story demonstrated that anything is possible with the right attitude and determination. Rob Mendez became a symbol of triumph over adversity, reminding us all to embrace our unique abilities and never let anything hold us back from achieving our dreams.