The 8 best Hispanic players in football history
(Photo via cincyjungle.com)
Latinos are currently the largest ethnic and racial minority in the United States and their numbers are both growing and skewing number. Almost from the beginning, Latinos have gravitated to the game of football – or futbol Americano – and their influence on the game has been felt for decades.
In Mexico, the game has firmly taken root at nearly every level and is surging in popularity to being just behind soccer – their futbol – as the most watched sport. Here in the U.S. rabid fan bases are seen in the college and pro games. Modern day stars such as Tony Romo, Jeff Garcia, Arian Foster, Mark Sanchez, and Anthony Gonzalez have fueled that hunger for the game.
Both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame are dotted with those of Hispanic-decent that have excelled on the gridiron. In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, here are the eight best Latino players in the history of football, listed alphabetically:
- College: UCLA (College Football Hall of Fame – 1976)
- Pro: Los Angeles Rams (Pro Football Hall of Fame – 1970)
Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, Tom Fears would spend the next five decades revolutionizing the game of football in the Los Angeles area at every level. He was a star at Los Angeles’ Manual Arts High School before becoming an All-American for the Bruins. He would be the first player of Mexican descent drafted into the NFL by the Los Angeles Rams in 1948. He immediately burst onto the scene by setting the league record in catches with a staggering 77 in 1949. He would go on to be an assistant coach for the Rams as well as for the World Football League’s Southern California Sun and an executive with United States Football League’s Los Angeles Express.
- College: Fresno City College, University of the Pacific
- Pro: Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs
A four-time Super Bowl champion, including two as Head Coach of the Los Angeles Raiders, Tom Flores has left an indelible mark on the game of football. He was the first minority head coach to win pro football’s greatest prize, Flores was also an all-star quarterback in the fledgling days of the AFL. His 83 wins are second-most all time in Raiders history. His high school alma mater, Sanger High School, named their football field Tom Flores Stadium in his honor.
- College: California
- Pro: Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons
Arguably the greatest tight end in the history of the game, Tony Gonzalez revolutionized the way the position was played. He was a star on the gridiron and basketball court in college and his amazing athleticism easily translated to the pass-happy NFL. He was named to 14 Pro Bowls and was named first team All-Pro six times. He was a consensus All-American for the Golden Bears in 1996 and was named to the NFL’s All-Decade team for the 2000s. Expect to see him be a member of both the college and pro football Hall of Fame soon.
- College: Miami (College Football Hall of Fame – 1987)
- Pro: Baltimore Colts, Green Bay Packers, Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders (Pro Football Hall of Fame – 1990)
The man they called “The Mad Stork” was the first player of Guatemalan descent to play in the NFL. While starring for the Hurricanes, the lanky Hendricks wreaked havoc on opposing offenses; he set school records for tackles by a defensive lineman and recovered a staggering 12 fumbles. His unique ability to disrupt an offense easily translated to the NFL. He would win the first of his four Super Bowls with the Baltimore Colts, where he also first displayed a knack for blocking field goals. He was named to the NFL’s All-Decade team for the 1970s and 1980s.
- College: California (College Football Hall of Fame – 2004)
- Pro: Calgary Stampeders, BC Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Boston Patriots (CFL Hall of Fame – 1984)
In 1970, Joe Kapp was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated with a headline proclaiming him to be “The Toughest Chicano.” This is not hard to imagine as “grit” and “guts” are often two of the words used most often to describe the man who would go on to set the record for most touchdowns thrown in a single game – seven with the Vikings in 1969. While at Cal, Kapp was a consensus All-American in 1958 and led the Bears to a Rose Bowl appearance in 1959. He signed with the Canadian Football League and would go down as one of the greatest signal-callers in the league’s history. When he finally got to the NFL in 1967, he would lead the Vikings to their first Super Bowl. He would go on to coach his alma mater in 1982 and was named the Pac-10 Conference Coach of the Year his first season.
- College: Southern Cal
- Pro: Cincinnati Bengals (Pro Football Hall of Fame – 1998)
There was never any denying the greatness of Anthony Muñoz on the football field. He was born the son of farmers in Ontario, California, Muñoz was a baseball fan at an early age – he was even a starting pitcher on USC’s 1978 national championship baseball team. However, his size and strength soon attracted football coaches and he found his niche in the game by becoming the best offensive tackle in the game for over a decade. He won a Rose Bowl with the Trojans in 1980 and would go on to be selected third overall in the NFL Draft, preceding a career where he was named to 11 Pro Bowls, the 1980s NFL All-Decade team, and to the NFL’s 75th Anniversary All-Time team.
- College: Stanford (Heisman Trophy – 1970; College Hall of Fame – 1990)
- Pro: New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
Jim Plunkett’s story is an amazing one of unbelievable perseverance. An all-around athlete in high school, Plunkett’s skills as a passer earned him a scholarship to Stanford, where he set school records for passes, passing yards, and touchdowns. He would lead the Cardinal to their first Rose Bowl in over 20 years with a win in 1970 on his way to capturing the Heisman Trophy. Taken first overall in the 1970 NFL Draft, Plunkett struggled through injuries until landing with the Raiders. He completed one of the most improbable comeback stories in league history by guiding the silver and black to two Super Bowl wins in the 1980s.
- College: LSU
- Pro: Philadelphia Eagles (Pro Football Hall of Fame – 1965)
Known as “The Flying Dutchman” and “Supersonic Steve,” the great Steve Van Buren quite frankly willed himself to greatness. Undersized, he was told he was too small to play football in high school, but he used those words as a driving force toward success. He earned a scholarship to LSU and finally broke through as the starting tailback his senior year. Once he reached the pros with the Eagles, Van Buren really hit his stride, literally and figuratively. He would lead the league in rushing four times and was the driving force behind two league championships for Philadelphia.