Former Cowboys LB Leighton Vander Esch's father arrested for attempted strangulation

Former Dallas Cowboys star Leighton Vander Esch’s father was arrested in Idaho this past weekend for charges that included felony attemted strangulation.

According to a report from TMZ, the father of the retired NFL linebacker was taken into police custody after they received a call regarding a domestic battery incident near the city of Riggins just after midnight on Dec. 1.

Darwin Vander Esch, 61, was arrested for felony attempted strangulation and was cited on charges including misdemeanor domestic battery and misdemeanor intentional destruction of a telecommunication device. He is currently being held without bond.

The news comes several months after his son had to retire from the NFL due to medical reasons.

Leighton Vander Esch only played six seasons but he’ll still be remembered fondly as one of the team’s best first-round picks for his team leadership and the production he brought when healthy.

He retired with one second-team All-Pro year on his resume from the 2018 season. He also earned a Pro Bowl nomination as a rookie. Over six seasons, he accumulated 469 tackles with 3.5 sacks, 25 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and three interceptions.

Injuries to the neck area had been an ongoing concern for Vander Esch since the 2019 season when he missed seven games. He also missed time last year because of a neck injury. The linebacker revealed he would continue playing, except his body “won’t cooperate any longer.”

“Leighton is exactly the kind of player and person a coach feels very fortunate to have on their team,” Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said at the time. “His leadership, character, perseverance, dedication and will to win were all at the highest level, not to mention his ability to play the game. Leighton impacted our team beyond defense. He set a tone that served as an example for all of our players about how we want to play.

“Having a teammate like Leighton is something everyone on our staff and in our locker room valued greatly, and we’re going to miss him. I wish Leighton, his wife Madalynn and their daughter the best and know that he’s going to continue living life to the fullest.”