List of Hispanic professional American football players

Last updated

This list contains professional American football players born in any Hispano-American or Latin American region. This is the only criterion for inclusion on the list; nationality of the players' parents is not taken into consideration. Additionally, individuals born in the United States, including the culturally Hispano-American U.S. insular area of Puerto Rico, are not included in the list, regardless of their ethnic heritage.

Players list

The colors represent the following:   Super Bowl champion

  Pro Football Hall of Fame member

Flag of Argentina.svg Argentina
PlayerBirthplaceBirthdateUniversityTeams [1] PeriodPositionNotable achievements
Bob Breitenstein Buenos Aires 8 April 1943 Tulsa Denver Broncos
Minnesota Vikings
Atlanta Falcons
1965–1967
1967
1969, 1970
RT
Bill Gramática Buenos Aires10 July 1978 South Florida Arizona Cardinals
New York Giants
Miami Dolphins
Tampa Bay Storm
2001–2003
2004
2004
2006
PK
Martín Gramática Buenos Aires27 November 1975 Kansas State Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Indianapolis Colts
New England Patriots
Indianapolis Colts
Dallas Cowboys
New Orleans Saints
1999–2003
2004
2006
2006
2006, 2007
2007–2008
PKSuper Bowl Champion with Tampa Bay (XXXVII) [2]
Santiago GramáticaBuenos Aires6 January 1983South Florida New York Dragons (AFL)
Florida Firecats (af2)
PK
Flag of Bolivia.svg Bolivia
Wilson Alvarez Santa Cruz 22 March 1957 Southeastern Louisiana Seattle Seahawks 1981 K
Flag of Colombia.svg Colombia
Jairo Penaranda Barranquilla 15 June 1958 UCLA Los Angeles Rams
Oakland Invaders (USFL)
Memphis Showboats (USFL)
Philadelphia Eagles
1981
1983
1984
1985
RB
Fuad Reveiz Bogotá 24 February 1963 Tennessee Miami Dolphins
San Diego Chargers
Minnesota Vikings
1985–1988
1990
1990–1995
K
Flag of Cuba.svg Cuba
Joe Lamas Havana 10 January 1916 Mount St. Mary's Pittsburgh Steelers 1942 G
Lou Molinet Chaparra30 November 1904 Cornell Frankford Yellow Jackets 1927 FB According to the Hall of Fame website, Ignacio Saturnino "Lou" Molinet was the first Hispanic player to be an NFL team member [3]
Ralph Ortega Havana6 July 1953 Florida Atlanta Falcons
Miami Dolphins
1975–1978
1979–1980
LB
Luis Sharpe Havana16 June 1960UCLA St. Louis/Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals 1982–1994T
Flag of El Salvador.svg El Salvador
José Cortéz San Vicente 27 May 1975 Oregon State New York Giants
Amsterdam Admirals (NFLE)
Los Angeles Xtreme (XFL)
San Francisco 49ers
Washington Redskins
Minnesota Vikings
Detroit Fury (AFL)
Dallas Cowboys
Philadelphia Eagles
San Francisco 49ers
Indianapolis Colts
1999
2000
2001
2001–2002
2002
2003–2004
2005
2005
2005
2005
2005
PK
Flag of Spain.svg Spain
Jesse Rodriguez Avilés7 August 1901 Salem Buffalo Bisons 1929 HB First Spanish member of an NFL team [4]
Kelly Rodriguez Avilés9 August 1907 West Virginia Wesleyan Frankford Yellow Jackets
Minneapolis Red Jackets
1930FB
QB
Ray Rowe Rota 28 July 1969 San Diego State Washington Redskins
Minnesota Vikings
1992–1993
1994
TE
Flag of Guatemala.svg Guatemala
Ted Hendricks Guatemala City 1 November 1947 Miami Baltimore Colts
Green Bay Packers
Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
1969–1973
1974
1975–1983
LB4-time Super Bowl Champion ( V, Colts; XI, XV & XVIII, Raiders). Member of: Pro Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame.
John Hendy Guatemala City9 October 1962 Long Beach State San Diego Chargers1985 DB
Flag of Honduras (darker variant).svg Honduras
Ebert Van Buren Tela 6 December 1924 LSU Philadelphia Eagles1951–1953FB
HB
Steve Van Buren La Ceiba 28 December 1920LSUPhiladelphia Eagles1944–1951HB2 NFL Championships (1948, 1949). Pro Football Hall of Fame member.
Flag of Mexico.svg México
Sergio Albert México City 28 October 1951 U.S. International St. Louis Cardinals 1974K
Raúl Allegre Torreón 15 June 1959 Texas Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts
New York Giants
New York Jets
1983–1985
1986–1991
1991
KSuper Bowl Champion with New York Giants (XXI)
Rolando Cantu Monterrey 25 February 1981 Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education Berlin Thunder (NFLE)
Arizona Cardinals
2004
2005
GFirst Mexican player to play in NFL coming out of the ONEFA [5]
Eduardo Castañeda Acuña 19 January 1983Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education Rhein Fire (NFLE)
Houston Texans
Arizona Cardinals
2007
2007
2008–present
LB 2009 Super Bowl member with the Arizona Cardinals.
Frank Corral Chihuahua 16 June 1955UCLALos Angeles Rams
Chicago Blitz (USFL)
Arizona Wranglers (USFL)
Houston Gamblers (USFL)
1978–1981
1983
1984
1985
CB
Tom Fears Guadalajara 3 December 1922UCLALos Angeles Rams1948–1956 WR 1 NFL Championship (1951). Member of: Pro Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame
Efrén Herrera Guadalajara30 July 1951UCLADallas Cowboys
Seattle Seahawks
Buffalo Bills
Oklahoma Outlaws (USFL)
1974–1977
1978–1981
1982
KSuper Bowl Champion with Dallas Cowboys (XII)
Victor Leyva Andocutín18 December 1977 Arizona State Cincinnati Bengals 2002OT
Marco Martos México City14 December 1973 Universidad de las Américas Puebla Barcelona Dragons (NFLE)
Cologne Centurions (NFLE)
1997–2003
2004
WR World Bowl Champion with Barcelona Dragons in 1997 (V)
Manuel Padilla Tijuana 12 August 1983Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher EducationDenver Broncos2008LB
José Portilla Zaragoza11 September 1972 Arizona Atlanta Falcons1998–1999OT
Ramiro Pruneda Monterrey25 January 1983Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher EducationCologne Centurions
Kansas City Chiefs
Philadelphia Eagles
San Francisco 49ers
2006
2007
2007
2008–present
OT
Aldo Richins Colonia Diaz 2 November 1910 Utah Detroit Lions1935T1 NFL Championship (1935)
Carlos Rosado México City9 August 1975Universidad de las Américas PueblaBarcelona Dragons (NFLE)
Amsterdam Admirals (NFLE)
1998–2002
2003–2004
WR
Rafael Septién México City12 December 1953 Southwestern Louisiana [lower-alpha 1] Los Angeles Rams
Dallas Cowboys
1977
1978–1986
PK
Salomon Solano Ciudad Victoria 19 September 1985 Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas Rhein Fire
Detroit Lions
Baltimore Ravens
2006–2007
2007
2008
DT
Joaquín Zendejas Curimeo14 January 1960 La Verne New England Patriots1983KJoaquín, Luis and Max Zendejas are one of 300 groups of brothers that have played in the NFL [6]
Luis Zendejas México City22 October 1961Arizona StateDallas Cowboys
Philadelphia Eagles
Arizona Rattlers (AFL)
1987–1989
1989
1992–1995
K
Max Zendejas Curimeo2 September 1963ArizonaWashington Redskins
Green Bay Packers
1986
1987–1988
PK
Tony Zendejas Curimeo15 May 1960 Nevada Houston Oilers
Los Angeles Rams
Atlanta Falcons
San Francisco 49ers
1985–1990
1991–1994
1995
1995
K
Flag of Panama.svg Panamá
Leo Barker Cristobal7 November 1959 New Mexico State Cincinnati Bengals1984–1991LB
Alvin Powell Panama City 19 November 1959 Winston-Salem State Seattle Seahawks
Miami Dolphins
1987–1988
1989
G
Jim Schuber Ancón23 June 1904 Navy Brooklyn Dodgers 1930HB
Flag of Paraguay.svg Paraguay
Benny Ricardo Asunción 4 January 1954 San Diego State Buffalo Bills
Detroit Lions
New Orleans Saints
Minnesota Vikings
San Diego Chargers
1976
1978–1979
1980–1981
1983
1984
PK
Flag of Venezuela.svg Venezuela
Alan Pringle Los Taques 20 January 1952 Rice Detroit Lions1975K
Pat Ragusa Caracas 17 March 1963 St. John's New York Jets1987K
Notes
  1. Known as Louisiana–Lafayette from 1999, and now branded athletically as Louisiana, without a geographic identifier.

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References

  1. Only the following leagues were considered: NFL, NFL Europa, AFL, af2, CFL, USFL and the XFL
  2. Super Bowl XXXVII Archived 22 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  3. "Ignacio Molinet's 1927 NFL Contract". Pro Football Hall of Fame. 1 January 2005. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
  4. "Latin-Americans in Pro Football". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
  5. Rolando Cantu, involved in Arizona Archived 16 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  6. Brothers Who Played Pro Football Archived 20 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine