Two years ago, Calob Leindecker had just completed a Cinderella football season as a sophomore at Parkview Baptist (Baton Rouge, La.). Though buried in the depth chart during preseason workouts, the 5-foot-7, 135-pounder quickly worked his way into the starting lineup as a cornerback and also started several games at wide receiver.
He finished his first varsity campaign with 35 tackles and three interceptions. The final interception, along with four key tackles, came in the Class 3A state championship game, won by Parkview Baptist, 19-18, over Westlake in the Louisiana Superdome to climax a perfect 15-0 campaign.
He continued on the high road that summer, making a pair of interceptions against a future Division I quarterback during a 7-on-7 tournament. He was seen as a possible two-way starter during his junior year and his future could not have been brighter.
However, disaster struck later that day. A friend’s truck was stuck in logs and mud along the Mississippi River. Calob and another friend came to pull the truck free. The driver accidently put his truck’s gear in reverse. It plummeted down an incline and crushed Calob’s left leg.
The driver of the truck was his best friend, Orrin Fontenot, who picked him up and sped to the hospital. The quick response probably saved his life, because he suffered a huge loss of blood.
Miraculously – following 13 surgeries and 20 different prosthetic legs – he returned to football last fall as a senior and was the holder on extra points. His first game, a preseason jamboree, was "really indescribable," he said. "The whole crowd cheered my name."
He appeared in eight games as the Eagles compiled a 12-2 record and finished second in the Class 3A state tournament. He was the holder on his team’s only extra point during its state-title game loss, 14-7, to Crowley Notre Dame in the Super Dome.
For his courageous efforts, Leindecker was honored Thursday as winner of the second annual High School Football Rudy Award, named in honor of Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger, the undersized University of Notre Dame football player who inspired the movie "Rudy."
CJ Edmonds and Rudy Ruettiger present the scholarship check to ‘the Most Inspirational High School Football Player in America’ – Calob Leindecker.
Trusted Sports
"Going through all those challenges and medical problems tells a lot about the kid’s character," Ruettiger said.
Ruettiger also could relate to Leindecker in another way: he was only 5-6 and 145 pounds as a sophomore high school player.
"It’s amazing," Leindecker said of the award. "I didn’t know how good of a shot I had. It was nerve wracking – like a dream come true. It was a huge deal to me because I’ve watched his movie."
Three hundred-ninety six players were nominated from 48 states during online voting, according to C.J. Edmonds, CEO of TrustedSports.com, whose mission is to "find great stories of kids overcoming obstacles to stay in the game and keep playing. Seventy percent of kids quit all sports before age 13."
Trusted Sports, Inc., created, produced and manages the High School Football Rudy Awards.
There were over 1.6 million votes cast. Leindecker, who was aided greatly by Lamar Advertising digital billboards throughout Baton Rouge, was chosen by a committee, which consisted of Shaun Alexander, Drew Bledsoe, Jim Mora Sr., Andrea Kremer, Jenn Brown, Andy Beal and Mike Smith.
Runner-up finishers Justin Ray Duke (Shepherd, Texas) and Kyle Weafer (Blue Valley, Orland Park, Kan.) each will receive $5,000 scholarships. The public had an eighth vote and the leading vote-getter was Bobby Keeney (Pinelands Regional, Tuckerton, N.J.), who will receive a $2,500 scholarship.
What made the award even more special is that it first was announced at Parkview Baptist on the day that three of his teammates signed their college football scholarships.
"I was feeling a little bad because I didn’t mean to rain on their parade," he said apologetically. He did not say what others may have thought – that he might have been the fourth college-scholarship signee had his life not taken a painful turn.
Leindecker’s mother, Tressy, called the surprise announcement "like another miracle from God. He got announced right along with the other kids. God took care of us."
Looking back at that fateful day, Leindecker said, "I didn’t think I’d ever be able to play football and didn’t think I’d ever be able to walk again. I didn’t think I could live without football. For the first week or two, my life was over. Then I talked to other amputees who explained what you could do with a prosthetic."
At this point, defensive coordinator Jay Mayet, who also is the team’s trainer and strength coach, took over Leindecker’s rehabilitation.
"The biggest things were his discipline, heart and passion," Mayet said of his playing days. "He didn’t have the speed, but any shortcomings he had he was able to overcome. I never had rehabbed an amputee before.
"There were times I had to push him, but I never heard him complain. He never asked for pity or made excuses. He did power cleans and squats – everything the rest of the team did, but with less weight. It was pretty miraculous and a great display of determination. He had to overcome so many skin breakdowns to his stump.
"When I wrote his letter of recommendation, I said if everybody displayed his character the world would be a better place. The kids love him. He has been a blessing. He’s inspired everybody – not just players but coaches as well."
Leindecker is the first one to admit, "My big motivator was to play football again. I pushed myself a lot. We moved faster than my leg could handle (the reason for many of his setbacks)."
Head coach Kenny Guillot was extremely impressed with Leindecker’s "will to get better once he got hurt. He is a tenacious kid, very disciplined. He never missed a workout. He helped young defensive players. He always was upbeat and positive. I talked a lot at team meetings about how hard he worked and used that as an inspiration to the other players even before his injury."
Leindecker’s incredible comeback sparked T-shirts with such sayings as "You can take my leg, but you can’t take my heart." Teammates wore his uniform number (2) on their helmets.
Guillot noted that Baton Rouge’s mayor and police chief were so impressed by Leindecker’s spirit that they spoke to his team "for the sole reason" of meeting him. Because Calob’s dad, Randy, is a former high school and Arena League coach, football long ago was a major fabric in the Leindecker family. Even Tressy, who works for Cox Cable, has served as a slideline reporter on the gridiron.
"We eat and sleep football," Tressy is proud to admit. "When the accident came, I don’t know if devastation even explains it. I’m just thankful he was alive. I only saw him cry three times. It took everything he had just to be back in school. To be back on the field was miraculous, to say the least.
"He never would use an elevator or wheelchair. He used his crutches. He never complained. He just wanted to be treated like all the other kids. It was absolutely amazing and made the other kids want to work harder."
The most emotional time during Leindecker’s rehab probably was the day that a reporter from Cox Sports took him back to the scene of his accident.
Tressy recalled that the reporter said to him, "You’ve got to be mad. You’ve got to be questioning." But the 18-year-old’s amazing reply was: "No, God gave this to me and who am I to be questioning?"
Calob explained his mental toughness when he related, "Since I can remember, my parents have raised me to be stronger than anybody else. It (the accident) has made me a better person all around and stronger. I’m not going to accept failure."
He plans to enter LSU next fall and learn more about the fields of kinesiology and prosthetics. It’s even possible that he could follow in his father’s footsteps and become a football or strength coach.
"I’d love for him to come back and coach with us," Kenny Guillot says enthusiastically. "He could become a volunteer. He needs to be involved with kids, because he has such a great story."
