FRISCO, Texas -- As Leighton Vander Esch walked through the door to the Mizzen+Main clothing store in Uptown Dallas recently, silver and blue confetti shot up into the air. The Dallas Cowboys linebacker smiled widely as the 60 or so people inside the establishment cheered. For the next two hours, Vander Esch, wearing a blue blazer, crisp jeans and a Mizzen+Main dress shirt, worked the room at a private fundraising event.
A year ago, Vander Esch was finding his way as a rookie. Now, he is considered one of the best young linebackers in the NFL, and he is a spokesperson for a rapidly-growing clothier with the likes of golf icon Phil Mickelson, Houston Texans star pass-rusher J.