Considering how his rookie year went, it would not be long until Leighton Vander Esch was going to play in a Pro Bowl. He didn’t have to wait long — on Tuesday, he was named to the NFC squad after Carolina’s Luke Kuechly pulled out because of injury.
The 19th overall pick in last April’s draft by the Dallas Cowboys, Vander Esch had 176 tackles this season. The inside linebacker is the first Dallas defensive rookie to be named to the Pro Bowl roster since 1981 and just the third in team history.
A former Boise State standout and Salmon River High graduate, Vander Esch was named second-team All-Pro by the Associated Press earlier this month.