Leighton Vander Esch has always wanted to play for the Cowboys. The Cowboys showed a mutual interest in the athletic linebacker leading up to the NFL Draft. He comes from Boise State, now seemingly a pipeline for the Cowboys.
His mom even wore a shiny, Cowboy-blue dress on the red carpet at the stadium where her son will now play.
In simple terms, it seems like a fit, even if he wasn’t the preferred choice of Cowboys fans.
But, based on his press conference moments after he was named as the newest Cowboy, he might be in for a culture shock.
I’m not sure he knows what Tex-Mex is.
He was asked by a reporter if he was “prepared to eat a lot of Tex-Mex food.”
Vander Esch thought she had asked about “text messages,” and awkwardly chuckled his way through a response that ultimately said “I’m not very familiar with that.” Watch the uncomfortable response in the video player above.
This didn’t seem like a, “I’m from a small town in Idaho so I haven’t eaten Tex-Mex.” Whic, by the way, would be understandable. But Vander Esch quite possibly has no idea what Tex-Mex even is, which is a dire situation that needs addressing.
Here’s to hoping local cuisine is part of the onboarding process for the Cowboys organization. This is even more important than the taco platter they delivered to last year’s top draft choice, Taco Charlton.
Charlton weighed in on Vander Esch Tex-Mex-gate on Twitter, telling the rookie, "we got some work to do my guy."