Leighton Vander Esch was born on February 8,1996 and is an American football linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League.
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18 Facts About Vander Esch
2.
Vander Esch played college football at Boise State, and was drafted by the Cowboys in the first round of 2018 NFL Draft.
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3.
Vander Esch attended Salmon River High School in Riggins, and competed in eight-man football, basketball, and track.
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4.
Vander Esch had 157 carries for 1,565 yards and 34 rushing touchdowns, 131 tackles, five interceptions, five fumble recoveries, and four defensive touchdowns.
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5.
Vander Esch led SRHS to a 1A D2 state championship and was named All-Idaho 1A Division II Player of the Year.
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6.
Vander Esch walked on at Boise State University, 150 miles south of Riggins.
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7.
Vander Esch was named the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year after making 141 tackles, four sacks, two interceptions, and four forced fumbles.
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8.
Vander Esch finished his collegiate career with 188 tackles, five sacks and three interceptions.
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9.
On December 21,2017, Vander Esch announced his decision to forgo his remaining eligibility and enter the 2018 NFL Draft.
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10.
Vander Esch's overall combine performance impressed scouts as he finished tied for second among all linebackers in the vertical jump and short shuttle.
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11.
Vander Esch tied for fifth among his position group in the broad jump and finished fifth among linebackers in the three-cone drill.
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12.
Vander Esch attended pre-draft visits with multiple teams, including the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys, and Buffalo Bills.
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13.
Vander Esch was ranked as the third best linebacker prospect in the draft by Sports Illustrated, the third best outside linebacker by DraftScout.
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14.
Vander Esch intercepted a pass by Eagles' quarterback Carson Wentz, that was intended for tight end Zach Ertz, during the first quarter.
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15.
Vander Esch finished his first season in 2018 with a franchise rookie-record 140 combined tackles, seven deflections, and two interceptions in 16 games and 11 starts.
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16.
Vander Esch finished with the third most tackles among all players in 2018, behind Indianapolis Colts' linebacker Shaquille Leonard and Green Bay Packers' linebacker Blake Martinez.
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17.
Across 10 games, Vander Esch recorded 60 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
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18.
Across 17 games, Vander Esch recorded 77 tackles, one sack, two passes defended, and one interception.
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