Three football players under the title '209 to the NFL.' Jonah Coleman wears a Denver Broncos uniform, Jacob De Jesus holds a football, and Zelmar Vedder is in a red uniform. Their schools and team affiliations are listed below: Lincoln High School, Manteca High School, and East Union High School, respectively. The theme highlights their different paths from San Joaquin County to the NFL.
(Photo illustration by Daniel Garza/Stocktonia. Photos by, from left, Kyusung Gong/Associated Press; Daniel Garza/Stocktonia; handout image courtesy of the University of Houston)

The road to the NFL runs through San Joaquin County.

And no one knows that better than three athletes who played together as youths and the coaches and trainers who worked with each of them.

Three people posing confidently in a gym. The man in the center wears a beanie and gray sweater. The young men on either side wear sports attire.
Vince Carter is flanked by Jacob de Jesus, left, and Jonah Coleman at Team Elevate in Stockton. (Photo courtesy of Vince Carter)

“When you build a community around kids, they won’t fail,” said Vince Carter, owner and coach of CrossFit 209 Sport and the Team Elevate sports program, based in Stockton.

Carter has worked with Jonah Coleman, of Stockton, and Zelmar Vedder and Jacob de Jesus, both of Manteca. The three young men are all now under contract following the 2026 NFL Draft, with Coleman being selected in the fourth round by the Denver Broncos, and Vedder and de Jesus both signing with the Kansas City Chiefs as undrafted free agents.

Carter said the trio’s success reflects more than their individual talent, with their paths rooted in effort and accountability.

Jonah Coleman

“First day he came in, it was, ‘Let’s get to work,’ ” the trainer recalled. “I couldn’t keep him out of the gym. He wanted to be there two, three times a day.”

Coleman graduated from Lincoln High School in Stockton in 2022 with multiple offers from Division 1 universities. He committed to the University of Arizona, where he played for two years before transferring to the University of Washington.

Washington running back Jonah Coleman holds the ball after a run against Illinois during an NCAA college football game on Oct. 25, 2025, in Seattle. (File photo by Lindsey Wasson/Associated Press)

The 5-foot-9, 220-pound running back became a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award, an annual college football accolade that honors the most versatile player in college football.

The Denver Broncos selected Coleman with the 108th overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. Coleman said he always knew he was meant to be a Bronco — going so far as to predict the team would select him in the second round. 

“It worked out how it was supposed to,” he said of his path to the NFL.

Now, Coleman looks to earn playing time alongside teammates J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey.

Zelmar Vedder celebrating on the field in Houston football uniform during a game
Zelmar Vedder celebrates during a game with the University of Houston. (Photo courtesy of Zelmar Vedder)

Zelmar Vedder

Vedder worked his way up across multiple football programs before reaching the pinnacle.

He graduated in 2021 from East Union High School in Manteca, where he was a standout cornerback and wide receiver for the Lancers.

East Union coach Jason Stock said Vedder was one of the hardest workers he’s ever had.

“You never had to motivate him. He was always working to get better,” Stock said. “The work was always there. You knew if he kept developing, he’d have a shot.”

After graduating from high school, Vedder played one season at Modesto Junior College before transferring to Sacramento State and, eventually, going on to the University of Houston, where his performance helped open the door to an NFL opportunity.

At Houston, the 6-foot-3, 195-pound defensive back played in all 13 games in 2025, his senior year, and earned a spot on the Academic All-Big 12 Team.

Jacob de Jesus

Like Vedder, de Jesus initially took the junior college route after high school. He said that humble start at Modesto Junior College, where he and Vedder were teammates, helped shape how he approaches the game.

Jacob de Jesus sprinting through cone drill during football training with trainer watching
Jacob de Jesus runs a drill during a training session. (Photo by Daniel Garza/Stocktonia)

“It builds character and toughness,” de Jesus said during a recent training session in Dublin. “You have to work on your own, pay for workouts and stay locked in.”

The 5-foot-7, 170-pound wide receiver said he often faced people who underestimated him because of his size.

Zelmar Vedder standing on the right with teammate in Modesto Junior College football uniforms
Zelmar Vedder, right, poses with a teammate during their time at Modesto Junior College. (Photo courtesy of Zelmar Vedder)

In high school, “he knew he had to outwork everyone,” said Mark Burnham, who coached de Jesus at Manteca High, where the athlete set single-season and career receiving records before graduating in 2021.

After a transfer to UNLV and two years of playing time for the Rebels, de Jesus finished his college career at Cal, where he set a school record for receptions in 2025.

Now, Vedder and de Jesus will reunite in Kansas City.

“We’ve been through similar journeys. That’s like my brother,” Vedder said of his longtime connection with de Jesus.

“If I have a bad day, he’s got my back.”

More work ahead

Last month’s draft marked a major milestone in the football careers of Coleman, de Jesus and Vedder, but those around the players said there’s still work ahead.

“The job’s not done yet,” said Stock, the East Union High coach.

For Coleman, the only of the three San Joaquin County football stars guaranteed a spot on an NFL roster, the next step begins now.

“Just playing my role and doing what I do” is how Coleman described his planned contributions to the Broncos, emphasizing the leadership that he brings to the locker room.

“I believe that’s where it starts: in the trenches,” he said in a release from the team.