ATHLETICS: Leighton Silva is knocked down by linebackers and bulls.
By Kate Weggeland, Features Editor
From the gridiron to the chute, Poly senior Leighton Silva knows what it is like to hit the ground, and hit it hard. Silva has accomplished much more than the average Poly Bear.
As a freshman, Silva earned a coveted spot on the varsity football team after starting on the freshman team earlier in the season. The coaches did not second-guess their decision to place the 15 year-old, 5 foot 7, 180 pound freshman in the starting lineup against some of the most competitive high schools in southern California, back when Poly was a member of the Big VIII League. The coaches instantly saw Silva’s potential as well as mental and physical stamina on the field, knowing his skill had not been built from his time on the football field. “I figured right away that he was going to be a tough kid,” Coach Huerta said.
But where did Silva’s strong mentality come from, if not the football field? It came from the back of an animal with the power of a race horse and the anger of the devil: the bull. Silva started riding bulls in 2000, almost 13 years ago. He has accomplished many feats in his bull-riding career thus far, taking fifth place in the steer riding at the 2008 Youth Bull Riders World Finals and winning state bull-riding competitions multiple times. Inspired to bull ride after watching 8 Seconds, a documentary that chronicles the life of Lane Frost, a PRCA Bull Riding World Champion, Silva knew his future lay in this unique sport.
“I have aspirations of competing in the PBR (Professional Bull Riding) circuit after football season,” Silva said. Silva plans on buying a permit, which will allow him to compete in the PBR, the equivalent of baseball’s “minor league.” In order to compete in the “major league,” known as the Built Ford Tough Series, Silva would need to win multiple competitions. “All it takes is a few wins and I should be on the Built Ford Tough Tour,” Silva said.
But it isn’t the prizes and competition earnings that drive Silva to compete –it is the thrill of the sport. Silva has sacrificed not only his and his parents’ time and money, but also his body. He has endured the pain of multiple injuries throughout his bull-riding career. From snapping his leg in half and exposing both bones through his skin, to tearing both his ACL and MCL joints, Silva never let an injury prevent him from achieving his goals. “I was out for a year, but I was determined to get back on the back of the bull, and stay on it,” Silva said.
Silva believes that his bull riding background greatly benefits his high school football seasons. Bull riding has helped Silva react to obstacles faster than most, as well as create a stronger mentality. “Being able to block out and ride a 2,000 pound bull that has the ability to kill you and can run over 30 miles per hour and jump over five feet in the air is very difficult. And at the same time, you need to be calm and collected and still do your job and react within seconds. So, bull riding helps greatly with football. I learned to block out certain stuff and push myself on the field like I do when riding bulls,” Silva explained.
Both on and off the field, Silva astounds those who know him through his ever-present determination and unrelenting passion for both football and bull riding. Silva plans on continuing bull riding in his future. “I have a talent in it and can make a great living. I will get to travel with some of my closest friends around the world and get paid to do it. I will be able to see so many great cities, states and countries and meet wonderful people. The honesty of the sport is what drives me forward. There are no politics in bull riding. It is all you. If you don’t win or don’t ride your bulls, it is no one’s fault except your own. There is no one to blame it on or point a finger at. Plus, it really tests not only how talented you are physically, but mentally as well,” Silva said.