Leighton Vander Esch

OLB, ILB · Boise State
It isn't often that former walk-ons become conference MVPs and celebrated NFL draft prospects but Vander Esch is far from your typical player. The breakout season Vander Esch enjoyed for the Broncos in 2017 - when he was credited with an eye-popping 141 tackles to earn Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors - was perhaps just as remarkable as the journey he took in arriving at Boise State, hailing from a town (Riggins, Idaho) which sported a population of just 406 people at the last census and a high school team that won the state championship in both his junior and senior seasons, albeit in eight-man football. While his fourth year on campus resulted in one of the most impressive campaigns by any defender in all of college football in 2017, Vander Esch's career started off in humble fashion. The self-described "scrawny" 6-4, 215 pounder redshirted in 2014 and recorded just 20 tackles (mostly in mop-up duty) a year later. His 2016 season began in fine form with his second career sack among five tackles in a win over Louisiana-Lafayette but he was hampered by an undisclosed injury a few games later and missed most of the next two months, ultimately finishing his third season on campus with a total of 27 tackles, including 3.5 for loss and an interception. Optimism was high that the now-strapping Vander Esch would break out in 2017, especially after he recorded a then-career high six tackles (all solos) against Baylor in a Cactus Bowl loss to Baylor to cap the 2016 season and earned buzz from teammates and the coaching staff for his "freakish" athleticism. Few, however, could have predicted that he would blow up like he did. Like the year before, Vander Esch enjoyed a solid season-opener, recording a sack among his seven tackles (including six solos) in a win over Troy. It was his next performance - setting a new career-high with 16 tackles (including two sacks) and forcing a fumble against Washington State a week later than started capturing the attention of scouts with Vander Esch beginning an impressive streak of enjoying his best performances against top competition. He recorded 10 tackles (including one for loss) against Virginia, a game-high 11 tackles (including nine solos and a tackle for loss) in an upset win at San Diego State, earning MVP honors of the Mountain West Conference Championship game win over Fresno State by tying his career-high with 16 tackles (including 10 solos), along with icing the game with an interception late in the fourth quarter and capping his career with a dominating performance against Oregon to help win the Las Vegas Bow, recording 12 tackles, including three for loss and a sack. Scouts will have to weigh the fact that Vander Esch only enjoyed one dominant season at the collegiate level but teams are often willing to gamble early picks on athletes with perceived untapped potential, especially those who have shown the grit to rise from former walk-ons to superstars. One need only look to last year's draft, in fact, when the Arizona Cardinals made former Temple walk-on Haason Reddick the No. 13 overall selection. BACKGROUND Played football, basketball and track and field at Salmon River High School...helped team to 1A Division II state titles in both football and basketball as a junior and senior...averaged 29.4 points and 11.1 rebounds per game as a senior on the basketball team...named IdahoSports.com Student-Athlete of the Year in 2014...All-Idaho 1A Division II Player of the Year...played quarterback and middle linebacker...in 2013 completed 60.8 percent of his passes (121-for-199) for 2,155 yards and 28 touchdowns with just one interception...also carried 157 times for 1,565 yards and 34 touchdowns...on defense he made 131 tackles (85 solo) with five interceptions, five fumble recoveries and four defensive touchdowns...played for head coach Charlie Shepherd. ...