Leighton Vander Esch
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Leighton Vander Esch (born February 8, 1996) is an American former professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
player who was a
linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...
for the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
of the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL). He played
college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
for the
Boise State Broncos The Boise State Broncos are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Boise State University, located in Boise, Idaho. The Broncos compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Mount ...
, and was selected by the Cowboys in the first round of the
2018 NFL draft The 2018 NFL draft was the 83rd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2018 NFL season. The draft was held on April 26–28 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington southwest of Dallas; it was ...
. He spent six seasons with the team, earning
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players. The format has changed ...
and
All-Pro All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list t ...
honors in his rookie season before neck injuries prematurely ended his playing career.


Early life

Vander Esch was born and raised in
Riggins, Idaho Riggins is a city in the western United States in Idaho County, Idaho. Nestled deep in a canyon at the confluence of the Salmon and Little Salmon rivers in west central Idaho, it is approximately north of Boise, and south-southeast of Lewis ...
. He is of Dutch descent. He attended Salmon River High School in Riggins, and competed in
eight-man football Eight-man football is a form of gridiron football, generally played by high schools with smaller enrollments. Eight-man football differs from the traditional 11-man game with the reduction of three players on each side of the ball and a field wid ...
,
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
, and track. His graduating class of 2014 had eleven students. In football, Vander Esch played
quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
and
middle linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the li ...
. As a senior, he completed 121 of 199 attempts (60.8 percent) for 2,155 yards and 28 passing
touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
s with one interception. He also had 157 carries for 1,565 yards and 34 rushing
touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
s, 131 tackles (85 solo), five interceptions, five fumble recoveries, and four defensive
touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
s. In the state's final 53-38 win against Lighthouse Christian School, he collected more than 500 yards of total offense and scored all five of his team's offensive
touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
s. He led SRHS to a 1A, Div. II state championship and was named All-Idaho 1A Division II Player of the Year. In
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
, he averaged 29.4 points and 11.1 rebounds per game as a senior and led Salmon River to consecutive 1A, Div. II state championships.


College career

Vander Esch walked on at
Boise State University Boise State University (BSU) is a Public university, public research university in Boise, Idaho, United States. Founded in 1932 by the Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopal Church, it became an independent junior college in 1934 and has b ...
, south of Riggins. As a
redshirt Redshirt, Red Shirt, or Redshirts may refer to: Sports * Redshirt (college sports) Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically ...
freshman assigned to the role of backup
linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...
in
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
, he appeared in all twelve games and registered 20 tackles (14 solo), one sack, one fumble recovery, and a first down on a fake punt. As a sophomore in
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
, he was limited to six games due to a neck injury, returning in the twelfth game where the Broncos faced the
Air Force Falcons The Air Force Falcons are the College athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the United States Air Force Academy, located in El Paso County, Colorado north of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Colorado Springs. Th ...
; Vander Esch tallied 27 tackles (23 solo), 3.5 tackles-for-loss, one sack, and one interception. As a junior in
2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
, Vander Esch became a starter at weak-side linebacker and had a breakout season. He was named the
Mountain West The Mountain West Conference (MW) is a collegiate athletic conference in the Western United States, participating in NCAA Division I. Its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The MW officially began operations on Janu ...
Defensive Player of the Year after making 141 tackles (fifth in the FBS), four sacks, two interceptions, and four forced fumbles (led the team). After the season, Vander Esch opted not to play as a fifth-year senior for the Broncos in
2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
and entered the
2018 NFL draft The 2018 NFL draft was the 83rd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2018 NFL season. The draft was held on April 26–28 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington southwest of Dallas; it was ...
. He finished his collegiate career with 188 tackles, five sacks and three interceptions.


Professional career


Pre-draft

On December 21, 2017, Vander Esch announced his decision to forgo his remaining eligibility and enter the 2018 NFL draft. He attended the
NFL Scouting Combine The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Foot ...
in
Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
in late February and completed all of the combine and positional drills. Vander Esch's overall combine performance impressed scouts; he finished tied for second among all linebackers in the
vertical jump A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of jumping upwards into the air. It can be an exercise for building both endurance and strength, and is also a standard test for measuring athletic performance. It may also be referred to as a ''Sargent ...
and short shuttle. He also tied for fifth among his position group in the
broad jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...
, as well as fifth among linebackers in the
three-cone drill The three-cone drill, 3-cone drill or L-drill is a test performed by American football players. It is primarily run to evaluate the agility, quickness and fluidity of movement of players by scouts. It is most commonly seen at the NFL Combine in p ...
. Vander Esch participated in Boise State's
pro day The NFL draft, officially known as the Annual Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the most common source of player recruitment in the National Football League. Each team is given a position in the drafting order in reve ...
on April 3, 2018, but opted to stand on his combine numbers and only performed positional drills. He attended pre-draft visits with multiple teams, including the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
,
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
,
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
,
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
,
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
, and
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
. At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Vander Esch was projected to be a first-round pick by NFL draft experts and scouts. He was ranked as the third-best linebacker prospect in the draft by ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
'', the third-best outside linebacker by DraftScout.com, the fourth-best linebacker by NFL analyst
Mike Mayock Michael Francis Mayock Sr. (born August 14, 1958) is an American former professional football executive and player in the National Football League (NFL). He played as a safety with the New York Giants. After his playing career, he was a draft ...
, and the sixth-best outside linebacker in the draft by
ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
analyst
Mel Kiper Jr. Mel Kiper Jr. ( ; born July 25, 1960) is an American analyst covering football for ESPN. Kiper has appeared on ESPN's annual NFL draft coverage since 1984. He has been widely credited for establishing mock drafting and is regarded as one of t ...


2018

The Cowboys selected Vander Esch in the first round (19th overall) of the 2018 NFL draft. He was the third linebacker selected. On May 11, the Cowboys signed Vander Esch to a fully guaranteed four-year $11.84 million contract that includes a
signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...
of $6.69 million. Throughout training camp, Vander Esch competed to be the starting middle linebacker against
Jaylon Smith Jaylon Smith (born June 14, 1995) is an American professional American football, football linebacker for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football, Notre Da ...
. Head coach
Jason Garrett Jason Calvin Garrett (born March 28, 1966) is an American former professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He was most notably the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys from 2010 to 2019. Garrett played college f ...
named Vander Esch the backup middle linebacker, behind Smith, to start the regular season. He made his professional regular season debut in the Cowboys' season-opener at the
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
and recorded three combined tackles in their 16–8 loss. On September 30, Vander Esch earned his first career start after
Sean Lee Sean Patrick Lee (born July 22, 1986) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions, and was selected by the Cowboys ...
sustained a
hamstring A hamstring () is any one of the three posterior thigh muscles in human anatomy between the hip and the knee: from medial to lateral, the semimembranosus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris. Etymology The word " ham" is derived from the Old ...
injury and was inactive for three games (Weeks 4–6). He made six combined tackles as the Cowboys defeated the Lions 26–24. The following week, he collected 14 combined tackles (11 solo) during their 19–16 loss at the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
in Week 5. On November 11, Vander Esch recorded a season-high 13 solo tackles and made his first career interception during a 27–20 win over the Eagles, earning him NFC Defensive Player of the Week. He intercepted a pass by Eagles' quarterback
Carson Wentz Carson James Wentz (born December 30, 1992) is an American professional football quarterback. He played college football for the North Dakota State Bison, where he won two consecutive NCAA FCS national championships as the starter. Wentz was s ...
, that was intended for tight end
Zach Ertz Zachary Adam Ertz (born November 10, 1990) is an American professional football tight end for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal, earning unanimous All-American ...
, during the first quarter. The following week, Vander Esch recorded eight combined tackles, a season-high three pass deflections, and intercepted a pass by
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
' quarterback Matt Ryan during a 22–19 win at the Falcons in Week 11. In Week 16, he collected a season-high 15 combined tackles (11 solo) as the Cowboys defeated the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
27–20. He finished his first season in 2018 with a franchise rookie-record 140 combined tackles (102 solo), seven deflections, and two interceptions in 16 games and 11 starts. Vander Esch finished with the third most tackles among all players in 2018, behind
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
linebacker
Shaquille Leonard Darius Shaquille Leonard (born July 27, 1995) is an American professional American football, football linebacker. He played college football for the South Carolina State Bulldogs football, South Carolina State Bulldogs and was selected in the se ...
(163 tackles) and
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
linebacker Blake Martinez (144 tackles). He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team. The Cowboys finished first in the
NFC East The National Football Conference – Eastern Division or NFC East is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It has four members: the Dallas Cowboys, New Yo ...
with a 10–6 record and earned a
playoff The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
berth. On January 5, 2019, Vander Esch started in his first career playoff game and recorded ten combined tackles (six solo) as the Cowboys defeated the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
24–22 in the NFC Wildcard Game.


2019

In week 4 against the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
, Vander Esch recorded a team-high 11 tackles in the 12–10 loss. He missed weeks 12–16 with a nerve issue in his neck before deciding to undergo surgery to correct the issue. He was placed on
injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in ...
on December 24, 2019. Across nine games, Vander Esch recorded 72 tackles (43 solo, 29 assisted), 0.5 sacks, three passes defended, and one forced fumble.


2020

In the week 1 season opener against the
Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...
, Vander Esch recorded two combined tackles in the first half before leaving the game with a broken collarbone. The next day it was announced that he would undergo another surgery and was placed on injured reserve on September 15. He was designated to return from injured reserve on October 7 and began practicing with the team again. He was activated on October 19, 2020. Across 10 games, Vander Esch recorded 60 tackles (32 solo, 28 assisted), one sack, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.


2021

On May 3, 2021, the Cowboys declined the fifth-year option of Vander Esch's contract, which would make him a free agent in the 2022 offseason. Across 17 games, Vander Esch recorded 77 tackles (48 solo, 29 assisted), one sack, two passes defended, and one interception.


2022

On March 18, 2022, Vander Esch re-signed with the Cowboys on a one-year contract. In 14 games, Vander Esch recorded 90 tackles (54 solo, 36 assisted), one sack, one pass deflection, and one forced fumble. Vander Esch missed the final four regular season games with a neck stinger he suffered in Week 14 against the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
. Vander Esch returned in time for the playoffs, recording nine tackles in the Cowboys' 31–14 wild card round victory against the Buccaneers and 11 in their 19–12 divisional round loss to the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
.


2023

On March 14, 2023, Vander Esch re-signed with the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
on a two-year deal. Vander Esch scored his only NFL career touchdown on an 11-yard fumble return in Week 4 against the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
. On October 8, 2023, Vander Esch suffered a neck injury in the 42–10 loss against the 49ers. He was placed on injured reserve on October 16. On November 14, Cowboys owner
Jerry Jones Jerral Wayne Jones Sr. (born October 13, 1942) is an American billionaire businessman who is the owner, president, and General manager (American football), general manager of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He bought t ...
confirmed Vander Esch would miss the rest of the 2023 season.


Retirement

On March 15, 2024, Vander Esch was released by the Cowboys after six seasons with the team. Three days later, he announced his retirement from football for medical reasons. He had dealt with multiple neck issues over the course of his career.


NFL career statistics


Regular season


Postseason


Personal life

Vander Esch is a
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
. He is married to Madalynn Vander Esch. They have one daughter. Vander Esch's younger cousin, Caleb Vander Esch, played college football as a
wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...
at
South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state, state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Dakota people, Dakota Sioux ...
and professionally for the
Arlington Renegades The Arlington Renegades are a professional American football team based in Arlington, Texas. The Renegades compete in the United Football League (UFL) as a member of the XFL Conference. The team was founded as the Dallas Renegades by Vince McMah ...
.


References


External links

*
Boise State Broncos bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vander Esch, Leighton 1996 births Living people American football linebackers American people of Dutch descent Boise State Broncos football players Dallas Cowboys players National Conference Pro Bowl players People from Idaho County, Idaho Players of American football from Idaho