VERMILLION, S.D.—
Caleb Vander Esch did not have a football scholarship when he got to the University of South Dakota, but he did have connections within the family to the program and he did have confidence in his ability.
And for reasons that perhaps he didn't immediately understand, there came a day when playing Coyote football became very important to him.
"I never came on a visit," he said. "And I never met this coaching staff. When I came to camp, I didn't know anyone other than receivers' coach Matt Middleton. I came with what I'd call a fresh sheet. And I've enjoyed my time."
He's glad it worked out. And the Coyote football program is glad, too, because he's gone from being a non-scholarship redshirt to not getting on the field his second year to a dependable and vital part of an offense that promises to continue to post big numbers.
Now, as a 6-1, 200-pound junior, he has 12 catches over three games with two touchdowns for the Coyotes within an offense that tends to spread the ball around to a crew of talented receivers.
His father Doug, originally from Hawarden, Iowa, was nothing less than one of the best linebackers to ever play at USD. He was named North Central Conference MVP in 1988 and earned first-team All-America honors that same year. He was enshrined in the USD Hall of Fame in 2007.
So there is a family history. But from his home in San Jose, California, where Caleb was a top receiver at Willow Glen High School and part of a state champion lacrosse team, he had not heard a lot about the state of South Dakota.
"I'd been to USD once before for my dad's Hall of Fame induction ceremony," Caleb said. "The plan wasn't for me to come to the University of South Dakota, but I was going to be here my junior year of high school for a family event and there was a camp that was going to be here when our family was back."
Caleb took his spikes and helmet with him on that trip and impressed the coaching staff enough—Joe Glenn directed the program at the time—to attract interest.
"It worked out," Caleb said. "And here I am. I walked on, paid my dues, put in the time, and was put on scholarship. It's pretty cool."
His father and mother, Elizabeth, made no special attempt to try to steer his son toward the elder Vander Esch's alma mater. In its place was a little bit of telling it like it is from a father who knew his son was a goal-oriented teenager who wasn't going to be afraid of a challenge.
Doug told his son about the weather, and told him that living in Vermillion was going to seem different than living in San Jose. But he also told Caleb he'd never regretted picking USD.
"I told him I was redshirted a year and was there five years, and it was five awesome years," Doug said. "I told him he was really going to enjoy it. You're going to meet friends that are probably going to be some of your best friends in life. That was true for me and I think you could say now it's true for Caleb, too."
Caleb had seven catches for a career-high 103 yards and a score Saturday in a contest where the offense and quarterback
Austin Simmons rolled up 537 yards passing. A kinesiology and sports management major, Caleb earned an MVFC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award in 2018 and has been a member of the conference honor roll every season.
Doug's cousin, Darrell Vander Esch, was also a football player at USD in the 1980s and lives in Brandon. The extended family also includes cousin Leighton Vander Esch, an Idaho native who has emerged as a star linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys.
The point is that USD has given Caleb a chance to spend more time around members of the family that he otherwise would not see very often. The same goes for Doug, who, in addition to family, has connected with "The Brotherhood", a group of Coyote football alumni who gather for football games. He knew the Coyote players from his own era, but he's broadened that circle since Caleb became part of the program.
"The guys who started the Coyote Brotherhood mostly played in the 70s and they've tried to connect everybody from the 80s and 90s and even those who graduated more recently," Doug said. "Meeting those guys and sharing stories has led to a lot of laughs. It's just been awesome."
By working his way through a crowded field at wide receiver to become a steady contributor, Caleb proved he's not going to back away from the tough parts of a college football career, or in this case, the tough parts of a football season.
It goes without saying that the Coyotes, who travel to Northern Colorado on Saturday looking for their first win, are in a similar situation as a team.
"Some people are going to have bad days and it's the rest of the team's job to pick them up," he said. "Everyone needs to have a good attitude and stay positive. Everyone is looking forward to Saturday against Northern Colorado. It's an opportunity for all of us to play hard and show what we can really do."
