TJ welcomes a new football coach, as the Spartans look to regain league dominance.
Student athletes listen as new coach Jesus Escobedo talked about his plan for the TJ football program. Photo by Tori Wallace
Growing up in Northeast Denver- in the Stapleton neighborhood- Jesus Escobedo became quite familiar with Denver Public Schools at a young age.
In elementary and middle schools, Escobedo played for an organization called Powell, (similar to pee wee football). His football coach growing up was Manual Hernandez, who also was his Sensei for Karate. “Coach Hernandez pushed me in the right direction as a young kid and really helped shape who I am today,” says Escobedo, who attended John F. Kennedy High School, due to the busing situation, even though TJ was his home school. His sister, however, did go to TJ along with many of his friends.
At Kennedy, Escobedo participated in football, basketball, and baseball, along with track during his senior year, when he went to the state competition and threw the discus and shot put. He also achieved all-state honors his senior year as a linebacker for the Commanders. “My favorite football moment was my senior year at Kennedy where we ended the season 10-0 in league. Just being able to go out on top as a player was pretty special,” states Escobedo, who is married and has 7 children. He says it’s easier to coach high school football when you know the different attitudes the kids will have. Thanks to his personal life, Escobedo says he is very prepared for the day-to-day problems that go on with high school students.
After high school, Escobedo was asked to coach at Powell by his previous coach, Hernandez, where he spent a full season. He then took an internship at Kennedy in 1998 and has been there ever since. During his tenure at Kennedy, Escobedo was a Freshman Coach, JV head coach, Assistant Head Coach, and Defensive Coordinator. During his most successful year at Kennedy in 2011, the commanders made it to the state semifinals in 3A under Escobedo, being ranked #1 or #2 throughout the entire season, only to lose to Palisade in a tough match-up. After a year of not coaching, Escobedo applied for the Spartan head coaching vacancy.
When asked why TJ seemed like the right fit for Escobedo, he stated, “I wanted to stay in DPS. When I put my name out there for the coaching position, I was also looking at other schools that had me as one of their top candidates. I knew that TJ was the place for me and I wanted it to be. Being from another DPS school I knew what kind of kids would be coming to TJ and I want to continue the TJ tradition and legacy.”
After a long process with many well qualified candidates, TJ found their new football coach. “Our committee of teachers, parents, and alumni all came together and felt Escobedo was the right fit for TJ. He had a track record within DPS which we felt was crucial for this position. We feel like Coach Escobedo will sustain the high expectations TJ has while developing positive relationships with our students and players,” stated TJ Athletic Director Andrew Skari.
Moving forward with TJ football, Escobedo expressed his thoughts about his viewpoint on the program. “A lot of people expect you’re going to do something right away. I have no doubt that we have the talent to compete, but first I will need the players to buy into what me and my coaching staff are trying to do. We need them to be committed, know the expectations and be willing to work. My expectation is to win league, and once we do that then we can move forward.”
Some of the football staff will stay intact, including Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Line Coach, Matthew Nicolo, who has been at TJ for 12 years. “I think Jesus is a really motivated person. He is really stressing bringing the program back to where it needs to be at the top of whatever division we are to be playing in. We have the same expectations we’ve always had for our football program, and that is excellence, and Jesus will help us get there with his football background,” said Nicolo.
Coach Escobedo steps into his first head coaching role with high standards set by the TJ community. He has proven in the past he knows how to win and will surely bring TJ a spark for many years to come. “Jesus will bring back our program to where it needs to be, and I have total confidence he can succeed at TJ,” states Skari.
