Leighton Vander Esch played eight-man football for a high school with fewer than 50 students.
On Saturday night at Albertsons Stadium, the Boise State junior linebacker was in full Hulk mode wearing the Broncos’ turnover belt as he celebrated a Mountain West championship win in front of thousands of fans.
Vander Esch tied a Mountain West title-game record with 16 tackles, earning defensive MVP honors after Boise State’s 17-14 victory over Fresno State.
His interception of Fresno quarterback Marcus McMaryion with 1:50 left in the fourth quarter put the Bulldogs’ hopes of a comeback out of reach.