DENVER – Over the last 16 years, Jesse Esquibel has survived West Nile virus and brain surgery, blood clots and heart attacks, and a bout with an autoimmune disease.
So when he decided to channel his Denver Broncos super-fandom into an orange and blue alter-ego, Esquibel’s character was a natural fit: The Bronco Reaper.
“I figured most people are scared of death,” said Esquibel, whose gameday attire includes a long, blue hooded robe, a shiny orange skeleton mask, and a faux scythe customized with the Broncos logos and colors.
“So it was a way for me to get out and make people less scared.”
Esquibel last week was waiting outside the gates of the UC Health Training Center, where the Broncos’ first practice was about to get underway.
The 37-year-old from Parker was with his wife, Jet’aime, and his three sons. Training camp, for the Esquibels, is a yearly ritual. They’ve gone since their teenager, Angel, was a toddler. In 2008, Mike Shananan called Angel onto the practice field and linebacker Louis Green threw him a football, which the Esquibels still have.
But it wasn’t until the 2014 season that Esquibel went public as the Reaper. He attends as many home games as he can, buying a cheaper upper deck ticket and roaming the stands with Limo Driver, Orange Vader and the other super fans of the team.
Esquibel, as with most Broncos super fans, was inspired by the legendary Barrel Man, Tim McKernan. McKernan, who died in 2006, wore nothing but a barrel and a cowboy hat to nearly every home game for decades, cold weather and all.
Esquibel’s outfit might have a darker twist, but he’s not trying to steal souls – unless he comes across a Raiders fan.
He gets a kick out of the Reaper persona because of his own brushes with death. The reaper, decked out in hometown colors, puts a lighthearted spin on the battles he faced.
He said his medical issues started around in 2003, with a mosquito bite. Then came the seizures, he said, and the West Nile diagnosis. His recovery included brain surgery, which left a long arching scar along the side of his head. Esquibel said he later developed an autoimmune disease that attacked his kidneys, leading to blood clots.
Then, in late 2015, he suffered a series of heart attacks. Now he said he still battles the seizures and diabetes.
“It’s been a series of unfortunate events,” Jet’aime said.
It’s a clip that’s popular on YouTube to this day.
In one of his most incredible athletic achievements — and he had many — Bo Jackson, then playing outfield for the Kansas City Royals, fired an absolute missile from the warning track to home plate to improbably nab the Seattle Mariners’ speedy Harold Reynolds.
So imagine getting pegged by a dodgeball from the arm of Bo Jackson?
Thankfully, nobody at Indian Trail High School and Academy on Friday had to find out.
Jackson — now 56 but remembered as one of the greatest athletes ever for his two-way stardom in both Major League Baseball and as a running back for the Los Angeles Raiders of the National Football League — was in Kenosha on Friday as a special guest for the Dodgeball Night of Fun hosted by Kenosha natives and current NFL players Melvin Gordon and Trae Waynes.
Anyone old enough to remember the iconic “Bo Knows” commercials for Nike can recall the mythology surrounding what a terrific all-around athlete Jackson was in his heyday.
So, was he any good at dodgeball?
“Whenever I played it, the kids never wanted me to be the one throwing the ball,” Jackson said Friday.
Well, nobody at Indian Trail got the business end of a Bo Jackson laser.
In what had to be one of the most unique events in Kenosha sports history, Gordon, Waynes and Jared D’Angelo — a gym teacher at Mahone Middle School and also the head junior varsity football coach and an assistant varsity coach at Indian Trail — co-hosted the dodgeball tournament.
Gordon had an idea
It was the brainchild of Gordon, a running back for the Los Angeles Chargers, and Waynes, a cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings, who starred at Bradford High School together and remain close friends.
Getting Jackson to attend was a huge bonus, even though the former MLB All-Star and NFL Pro Bowler — who now resides in the Chicago suburbs — had to leave before the event was over due to a prior commitment.
So, why was Jackson there in the first place?
“Melvin and his mother (Carmen) support my philanthropic ventures,” he said. “… It’s just only right to be reciprocal to give back. I live an hour and a half down the road from here … I figured the least that I could do was get in the car to come up here to support him for a couple of hours before I battle the traffic going back south.”
Of course, there’s no mystery why Gordon was there.
He and Waynes, both first-round NFL draft picks in 2015, have always been adamant about giving back to the community. And though Waynes could not be in attendance Friday because he was traveling back from a vacation planned before the dodgeball event, they worked together — with the help of Carmen Gordon and Trae’s parents, Ron and Erin — to coordinate the activities.
“His family, my family, definitely worked hard putting things together,” Gordon said. “… We (were) definitely on phone calls, sitting in and giving input, definitely. But our parents definitely did a tremendous job with helping put this together.”
The turnout didn’t disappoint, even though the tournament had to be moved indoors to the Indian Trail Fieldhouse from Jaskwhich Stadium due to the excessive heat.
According to D’Angelo, 30 teams ranging from kids to high schoolers to adults registered for the tournament. With an average of 10 players on each team, that meant about 300 people participated, and a sizeable throng of spectators paid to watch.
KENOSHA — Staying inside to beat the heat, Indian Trail High School in Kenosha hosted a fun dodgeball event with a very special guest on Friday, July 19.
Former Wisconsin Badger and current Los Angeles Charger Melvin Gordon dodged around the high school gym. He tells FOX6 News it’s important to come back to his former community to teach kids skills they can use later in life.
“Sports teaches you so much. You know… so many things, especially things you’ll use after you’re done playing. Being on time, being able to work in a team format, you know things like that — and also it keeps kids out of trouble you know this age, you could be off doing who knows what. It just keeps you occupied.”
All proceeds from the dodgeball event will be donated to the Mahone Middle School Physical Education Activity Fund, as well as the Indian Trail High School track and field team.
KENOSHA, Wis. (CBS 58) — Kenosha native and NFL star Melvin Gordon is hosting a dodgeball event Friday night, however, some changes had to be made because of the excessive heat warning.
The biggest change is taking hundreds of people and jamming them into the Indian trail gym. It’s a perfect solution that’s worked out extremely well for Melvin Gordon and Trae Waynes Dodgeball Night of Fun.
The former Bradford teammates co-hosted the event with legend Bo Jackson although Waynes had a conflict Friday. It’s a huge off-season for Gordon who might hold out of training camp next week as he’s hoping for a new contract. When he gets a new deal, the former Badgers running back is in line to make around $15 million a year, quite a jump from a high schooler struggling to get scholarship offers. He remembers growing up in Kenosha when all of his support came from right here, that’s why it’s so important to give back.
Phillip Lindsay’s mindset is locked in for the start of Broncos training camp later this week.ADVERTISING
“I’m ready 100 percent,” Lindsay said Monday.
But the second-year running back also understands he’s not the final decision maker for how much he’ll participate as he recovers from a wrist fracture that required surgery last December. He was a limited participant throughout offseason workouts.
Lindsay hosted his first youth football camp Monday — a free event for first-through-eighth graders at the Evie Garrett Dennis Campus in Green Valley Ranch. He told reporters there is no rush to return if it means risking his future health.
“It comes down to what they feel is best for me,” Lindsay said. “It’s a long season, so I’d rather be able to go 16, 17, 18, 19 or 20 games than go one game. It depends on what coach (Vic) Fangio and all them feel like I should be doing right now.”
Lindsay combined for 1,278 yards rushing/receiving last season en route to the first Pro Bowl selection ever for an undrafted offensive rookie. Growth in Year 2 requires adjustment to new offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello’s zone-blocking scheme. Should the medical staff limit Lindsay’s training camp work, will he be ready when Denver opens the season Sept. 9 in Oakland?
“I’m going to be ready regardless,” Lindsay said. “That’s just the type of person I am. I’m ready to go out there and compete. I can’t tell y’all how many reps (in training camp). I’m not the coach. But if I get one rep, I’m going to make the best of it.”
DENVER — Two days before the Broncos report for training camp, Phillip Lindsay feels ready to return to the field following an offseason of rehab.
“I’m ready,” Lindsay said Monday at his youth football camp. “In my mind I’m ready — 100 percent. That’s all I can say. Once camp hits and y’all see me, you’ll know what I’ll be doing. That’s what it comes down to. You’ve just got two more days.”
Lindsay, who suffered a wrist injury in the Broncos’ penultimate game of the season, emphasized that the Broncos’ coaching and training staffs would make the final decision on the timing of his return.
“At the end of the day, I’m ready for whatever,” Lindsay said. “It comes down to what they feel is best for me. … It’s a long season. I’d rather be able to go 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 games than go one game. It just depends on what Coach Fangio and all them feel like I should be doing.”
Whenever the training staff clears the second-year player for a return to team drills, Lindsay said he’ll attack each rep in the same fashion that he approached a rookie season in which he became the first undrafted offensive rookie to make the Pro Bowl.
Kenosha, WI – June 19, 2019 – Select Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha members participated in the James White & Melvin Gordon Football Camp at the McClain Center in Madison, WI this past Saturday. The Gordon family provided scholarships for youth to attend.
Fifty young athletes (ages 6-15) and five BGC football coaches attended the camp. Each kid received a t-shirt, lunch and four hours of training led by NFL pros, James White and Melvin Gordon, who played together for three years at the University of Wisconsin.
“It’s outstanding that Melvin gives back to his home community,” said Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha Sports Director, Dave Randall. “These players would not have been able to attend and experience such a great event if it weren’t for Melvin’s generosity.”
“The kids loved being at the University of Wisconsin’s indoor turf facility learning from Melvin and James,” said Cliff McKenzie, BGC Sports Football Coach and trip supervisor. “They were the lead instructors and had one on one interaction with most of the kids. A lot of our athletes look up to Melvin. This will be a day the kids remember for a while, if not a lifetime.”
The Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha has a special place in Gordon’s heart, as he was a Club member in his youth. He often visits the Club during his time spent home in Kenosha. He received the Mary Frost Ashley Award in September 2018 at the Young at Heart Gala, recognizing his outstanding dedication to the Club.
As a young child growing up in Flint, MI, Monte Morris was a huge Detroit Pistons fan and he’d travel whenever and wherever he could to participate in camps held by his heroes. It’s a big reason why he agreed to run his own summer camp in the Denver area this summer.
“I went to camps with Detroit Pistons, Chauncey Billups. I knew how I felt at that age, so I already know how they feel [the campers],” Morris told Nuggets.com on Wednesday. “Getting a chance to see someone who has played against the top guys…It definitely inspired me, so I always saw myself doing this.”
On June 18-19, Morris held his two-day Prostart Sports summer basketball camp at the Gold Crown Field House in Lakewood, CO. There were an estimated 105 kids at the event, a number he was pleasantly surprised with and a clear sign of his rising popularity as a Nugget.
“It means a lot,” Morris said. “Getting a chance to interact with all of these kids. Take photos and make their day. They look up to me and they tell me they play as me in their video games, so I know what it means to come out and show love.”
Morris was by no means a stationary observer in his appearance on Wednesday. He was actively running drills and even taking on a few kids in one-on-ones. One kid, Carson Block, stunned the 23-year-old, doing a quick step back off the dribble to score on the point guard. Block was thankful for the experience.
MADISON, Wis. – Former Badger running backs Melvin Gordon and James White were back in Madison this weekend to host a football camp for more than 200 kids in the Madison area. It’s the first year the duo has put on a camp together in Wisconsin.
Gordon currently plays for the Los Angeles Chargers and is a two-time Pro Bowler, while White has won three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots.
Both players told us they’re grateful for the time they spent in Madison, so it was natural to give back.
