FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NFL
9/15/16
Contact: Robert Roberts, NFL
212/450-2196/[email protected]
NFL CELEBRATES HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH
32 Hispanic Leaders Recognized Through the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Awards
The National Football League and its teams will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a series of special events
during Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15).
The theme of this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month recognition is “Feel the Orgullo.” In Spanish, the word “orgullo”
means pride. Latino players, fans, and coaches have a strong sense of pride not only in their culture but in their
team and the NFL. During Hispanic Heritage Month, the NFL and its 32 teams will amplify the rich history,
heritage and tradition of Latinos, and honor the positive impact they have had on the game and country.
Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, fans can visit www.NFL.com/HispanicHeritage for a look at the personal
stories of Hispanic players, past and present, who have left a lasting legacy on the NFL. Follow @NFLEspanol
on Twitter for details on a user-generated photo contest during which fans will be encouraged to join the
conversation and share their pride with the hashtag #FeelTheOrgullo on Twitter and Instagram. Through
September 26, participants will be able to submit photos according to unique themes related to game day rituals,
family, team spirit and more!
NFL teams will enhance the celebration with local efforts throughout the month including in-stadium themed
elements and local community outreach in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.
32 LEADERS RECOGNIZED THROUGH THE NFL HISPANIC HERITAGE LEADERSHIP AWARDS
For the 2016 celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the NFL and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF)
have partnered for the sixth annual NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Awards. The awards recognize the
contributions of Hispanic leaders in each NFL market. Each recipient will select a non-profit organization of
their choice that serves the local Hispanic community to receive a $2,000 donation.
NFL PLAY 60 CHARACTER CAMPS IN NINE MARKETS
NFL PLAY 60 Character Camps were held in 8 NFL markets this year, with a 9th camp coming up in Los
Angeles. The camps are presented in partnership with the Muñoz Agency and USA Football and are part of
the NFL’s year-round Hispanic outreach initiative, focused on offering youth opportunities to play and
experience the game of football while emphasizing exercise and reinforcing the importance of character in
athletics and life.
The Los Angeles Rams will host the next NFL PLAY 60 Character Camp on September 22 at the Los Angeles
Memorial Coliseum.
THE NFL EN ESPAÑOL
Thursday Night Football is available in Spanish via SAP (Secondary Audio Program) on CBS/NBC/NFL
Network.
Sunday afternoon games are available in Spanish via SAP on CBS and FOX.
Sunday Night Football on NBC provides Spanish coverage via SAP with Telemundo’s sportscasters Rene
Giraldo and Edgar Lopez calling the action.
Entravision Radio broadcasts Sunday Night Football live in Spanish on their owned and operated radio stations
with Tony Nuñez and Ricardo Celis handling play-by-play.
ESPN Deportes and ESPN Deportes Radio are home to Monday Night Football in Spanish. The Monday Night
Football broadcast team for ESPN Deportes features Spanish-language Emmy-nominated play-by-play voice
Álvaro Martín, analyst and former NFL kicker Raúl Allegre, and sideline reporter John Sutcliffe.
The season will culminate with Super Bowl LI live in Spanish on FOX Deportes and Entravision Radio.
For the latest NFL news in Spanish, visit NFL.com/Espanol powered by Univision.com and follow
@NFLEspanol on Twitter.
Team events include:
Arizona
Cardinals
Atlanta Falcons
Baltimore
Ravens
Buffalo Bills
Carolina
Panthers
Chicago Bears
Cincinnati
Bengals
Cleveland
Browns
Dallas Cowboys
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Arizona Cardinals Spanish broadcast team of
Gabriel Trujillo and former Cardinals guard Rolando Cantu stepped from behind the microphone
to in front of the classroom as they read in Spanish to students from the Arizona Cardinals
Preparatory Academy. Additionally, at their September 18 game against Tampa Bay, the team will
host special pregame festivities on the Cardinals Flight Deck and feature Hispanic in-game
entertainment including national anthem singer Andres Martinez of the Ritmo Latino Band and a
halftime performance featuring Alma De Mexico Danza. Finally, the team will also recognize State
Representative Tony Rivero as the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award recipient.
The Atlanta Falcons will present Anibal Torres, Executive Director of the Latin American
Association, with the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award.
The Baltimore Ravens will recognize Dr. Perla Guerrero, Assistant Professor of the Department of
American Studies and U.S. Latina/o Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park, as the
NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award recipient at their game on October 2 against the
Oakland Raiders. Additionally, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, more than 100 youth from
Centro de la Comunidad and Education Based Latino Outreach have been invited to participate in
a PLAY 60 Festival on September 26 at UTZ Field in Baltimore City.
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Buffalo Bills will honor NFL Hispanic Heritage
Leadership Award recipient, Michele Agosto, Supervisor of Curriculum for Art Education, Buffalo
City School District, during their September 25 game against the Arizona Cardinals. Agosto will
partake in a pregame on-field recognition ceremony that will be shown in-game on the
scoreboard.
The Carolina Panthers will present Rocio Gonzalez, Executive Director of the Latin American
Chamber of Commerce of Charlotte, with the NFL Hispanic Heritage Month Leadership Award on
September 25 when they face the Minnesota Vikings. Panthers Spanish Radio Flagship, WGSP
FM, will do a pregame broadcast from the Panthers in the Park location adjacent to Bank of
America Stadium. Additionally, the Panthers’ Spanish Radio Network has partnered with
Nationwide, to present four weekly awards to local businesses who contribute in various ways to
the Hispanic/Latino community across the Carolinas.
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Chicago Bears will present Elba Aranda-Suh,
Executive Director, National Latino Education Institute, with the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership
Award on September 19 when they face the Philadelphia Eagles. Elba will be welcomed to the
field pregame. The Bears will also honor Elba via a story on VamosBears.com, in a La Raza
newspaper advertisement, and through the @BearsOutreach Twitter account. In addition, the
Bears will participate in various community events during Hispanic Heritage Month including four
Hispanic festivals and attend West Chicago High School’s homecoming game. All efforts are part
of the team’s ¡Vamos Bears! fan platform, a year round engagement tool designed to educate,
engage, and grow the Bears relationship with the Hispanic community.
The Cincinnati Bengals will honor Tillie Hidalgo Lima, President/CEO of Best Upon Request
Corporate, with the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award on September 25 when they face
the Denver Broncos.
The Cleveland Browns will present José Feliciano, Partner at Baker & Hostetler, with the NFL
Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award during their September 18 game against the Baltimore
Ravens. Throughout the year, the team and the Cleveland Browns Foundation supports the
Walton School, which has a strong Hispanic population, to provide wrap-around services that
integrate community services in school, to help kids reach their academic goals by reducing
barriers to learning such as hunger, unstable living situations and unresolved medical conditions.
The Browns 2016 Hometown Huddle will also be hosted at Luis Munoz Marin School, which has a
significant percentage of Hispanic students.
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Dallas Cowboys Rookie Club will visit Pearcy
Elementary in Arlington, Texas to go through NFL Flag essential skills and activities with students
in the heavily Hispanic community. Later in the week, Cowboys alumni players are scheduled to
visit Richardson Elementary in Dallas for a Futbol Americano clinic with a goal of showing both
Denver Broncos
Detroit Lions
Green Bay
Packers
Houston Texans
Indianapolis
Colts
Jacksonville
Jaguars
Kansas City
Chiefs
boys and girls the fun of football. On September 25, when the Cowboys host the Chicago Bears,
the team will activate with several Hispanic performers and mariachis on the plazas and will
recognize Dr. Marco Navarro as the recipient of the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award
during pregame. Gameday performers include Ballet Folklorico and a mariachi band, both from
San Antonio, performing on stage in the East and West Plazas. The national anthem will feature a
parade of flags featuring representatives of each Latin American nation on the field with their
country’s flag, and halftime will feature a flag football contest with local youth teams comprised of
predominantly Hispanic Youth. Additionally, Cowboys media partners La Grande, Telemundo 39,
and Al Dia are each conducting contests to select a winner to represent their media outlets on
stage in a new contest, Somos La Familia Cowboys. Families will demonstrate to the crowd why
they are the #1 Somos La Familia Cowboys. The best family of fans will be selected by fan
applause and the winning family will receive pregame field passes. The media outlet represented
by the winning family will receive the Somos La Familia Cowboys Media Trophy for 2016.
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Denver Broncos will present Angela Davidson, Vice
President and Regional Operations Manager for the Southwest Region, U.S. Bank, with the NFL
Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award on September 18 when they face the Colts. The Broncos
are also hosting a series of events including the third installment of Broncos Carne Asada on
September 16, where the Broncos will visit three Colorado communities and provide free food to
the first 500 fans. On September 23, the team will host Broncos en Espanol, the team’s annual fan
fest for Spanish-speaking fans which is focused on family-fun activities where fans can learn
about and practice football. On September 27, the team will host a football vs. futbol clinic held in
partnership with the Colorado Rapids. Denver area kids will participate in the clinic which
highlights the similarities and differences between the sports. To conclude Hispanic Heritage
Month, on October 18 the Broncos will host their inaugural Latino Hall of Fame Gala to honor
Latino leaders who have made impactful contributions to the Denver community, including Angela
Davidson.
The Detroit Lions will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by awarding Camilo Suero, Executive
Director, Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, with the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership
Award on September 18 when they host the Tennessee Titans.
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Green Bay Packers will present Griselda Aldrete,
President and CEO, Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee, with the NFL Hispanic Heritage
Leadership Award.
The Houston Texans and H-E-B hosted a special cooking class in honor of NFL Hispanic Heritage
Leadership Award winner Armando Perez, Senior Vice President, Houston Division of H-E-B, on
September 12. Perez spoke to teens from the Houston Boys & Girls Club about the importance of
working hard to achieve their goals prior to a cooking class led by Chef Juan Gonzalez. Teen
Club members were surprised by a visit from Texans Guard Xavier Su’a-Filo. The Texans will
present Armando Perez with the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award on September 18
when they face the Kansas City Chiefs. Ballet Azteca will provide pregame entertainment at
stadium entrances and members of the Texans Hispanic Fan Club, Toros Bravos, will hold the
Texas flag during pregame festivities. Houston Grand Opera singer, Octavio Moreno, is scheduled
to perform the national anthem.
The Indianapolis Colts are joining the NFL’s national celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month by
hosting a free youth football camp for more than 200 youth ages 7-17 on September 27. Colts
players, will be on hand to interact with the students and help them run through football drill
stations. On September 17, the Indianapolis Colts will join La Plaza for FIESTA Indianapolis at the
American Legion Mall in downtown Indianapolis. The Colts PLAY 60 Zone will be on-site to allow
children to run through football drills. The Indianapolis Colts will continue their celebration of
Hispanic Heritage Month at their game against the San Diego Chargers on Sunday, September 25
by presenting the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award to Miriam Acevedo Davis, local
community leader, during pregame.
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Jacksonville Jaguars will present Dr. Susana
Urbina, Professor of Psychology, University of North Florida, with the NFL Hispanic Heritage
Leadership Award.
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Kansas City Chiefs will host an Arrowhead Art Collection
(AAC) workshop, led by AAC Featured Artist Jose Faus, in the Scout Investments Club Level at
Arrowhead Stadium on September 20. Faus, a native of Bogota, Colombia and longtime Kansas
City resident, will instruct local students from Alta Vista High School in the techniques he utilized
for his AAC painting, Unbearable Lightness. The students, who will be accompanied during this
exclusive opportunity by members of the Chiefs defensive line, will then engage in a breakout
session where they create their own pieces of art in a similar style. Additionally, team Chairman
and CEO Clark Hunt will honor Mayra Aguirre, Executive Director for the Hispanic Development
Fund, with the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award prior to kickoff of the Chiefs game on
September 25 versus the New York Jets.
Los Angeles
Rams
Miami Dolphins
Minnesota
Vikings
New England
Patriots
New Orleans
Saints
New York Giants
New York Jets
Oakland Raiders
Philadelphia
Eagles
The Los Angeles Rams will host a PLAY 60 Character Camp on September 22 at the Los Angeles
Memorial Coliseum. PLAY 60 Character Camps are part of the NFL’s year-round Hispanic
outreach initiative, focused on offering youth opportunities to play and experience the game of
football while emphasizing exercise and reinforcing the importance of character in athletics and
life. On September 29, the Rams will introduce the Character Playbook education initiative at the
Santee Education Complex, a LAUSD high school in South Central LA with a student body that is
more than 90% Hispanic. The Rams will present Pilar Pinel, President and CEO of Embracing
Latina Leadership Alliance (ELLAS), with the Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award on October 9
when they face the Buffalo Bills. Pilar will serve as the coin toss captain for the game. In addition,
the Rams, Univision and Corona will host a special tailgate celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month
prior to the game.
The Miami Dolphins in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month will host a Dolphins Blitz at
Meadowlane Elementary in the Hialeah neighborhood on September 20. Dolphins players, alumni
and cheerleaders will host students as they participate in several fitness orientated stations and
learn the benefits of hydration and staying physically active. This is in coordination with a Fins
Frenzy, hosted by Dolphins Alum Twan Russell with mascot T.D. The Dolphins will highlight the
importance of education, physical fitness and positive choices. Additionally, the Dolphins will
present South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Liliam López with the
Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award at a home game at Hard Rock Stadium this season.
The Minnesota Vikings will present Braulio Carrasco, Race Equity Organizer, Education
Minnesota, with the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award on October 3 when they face the
New York Giants.
The New England Patriots will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by honoring Patricia Montes of
Centro Presente with the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award winner. The New England
Patriots Charitable Foundation will make a special visit to the nonprofit to present the organization
with a grant and to celebrate the work of Patricia and her peers. She will also be featured in the
Patriots’ Spanish language newsletter and Patriots GameDay magazine.
The New Orleans Saints will host three Saints Junior Training Camps at schools with the highest
Hispanic populations in the New Orleans area; Marie Riviere Elementary and JC Ellis in Metairie,
and Esperanza Charter in New Orleans. At their Hispanic Heritage game on September 26, the
team will have representatives of LatiNOLA and Our Voice Nuestra Voz volunteering as the Gate
Giveaway Crew, and will honor Dr. Juan Gershanik, Medical Director of Newborn Services and
Vice-Chair of the Pediatrics Department at West Jefferson Medical Center, with the NFL Hispanic
Heritage Leadership Award during a pregame presentation.
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the New York Giants will present Zoraida Saldana with
the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award at a press conference on September 30 announcing
their upcoming extensive social media campaign for domestic violence awareness month.
Zoraida is the Program Manager at My Sister’s Place, whose mission is to engage each member
of society in their work to end domestic violence.
The New York Jets will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month during their October 2 contest against
the Seattle Seahawks when they present J.W. Cortés, Marine combat veteran and Actor on
Gotham, with the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award.
The Oakland Raiders have a number of activations planned to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.
In honor of the Raiders playing a home game in Mexico City in November and Hispanic Heritage
Month, the Raiders will host the champion NFL Tochito (NFL FLAG) team from Mexico to watch a
walk thru and take a tour of the Raiders Practice Facility on September 16. The NFL Tochito team
will then attend the Raiders September 17 game against the Atlanta Falcons. The Tochito team
will take part in a pregame ceremony on the field and stand on the sidelines next to the players
during the national anthem. On October 3, the Raiders will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by
partnering with a local Ballet Folklorico performance group to educate underserved youth from the
Oakland community about the history of Ballet Folklorico and its significance to the heritage of
Mexico & Latin American culture. Additionally, the group will put on a traditional Ballet Folklorico
performance. The event will also tie in PLAY 60 messaging with dance being an easy and fun way
to exercise, and have an interactive workshop for the performance group to teach some of the
traditional dance moves to the kids. On Sunday, October 9, the Raiders will honor their NFL
Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award winner, Olga Talamante, with an on-field presentation when
the Raiders take on the San Diego Chargers at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Philadelphia Eagles will host NFL Hispanic
Heritage Leadership Award recipient Felix Agosto, Founder and President of MVP360, during their
September 25 contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Eagles continue to support MVP360’s
leadership and development programs, which includes an Eagles flag football league that aims to
educate student-athletes and youth of all ages about essential life skills necessary for personal
and professional advancement, both on and off the field of play. The communities MVP360 serves
includes primarily Hispanic populations new to the game of football.
Pittsburgh
Steelers
San Diego
Chargers
San Francisco
49ers
Seattle
Seahawks
Tampa Bay
Buccaneers
Tennessee
Titans
Washington
Redskins
The Pittsburgh Steelers will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a variety of elements during
the team’s October 9 game against the New York Jets. The team will present Ron Alvarado,
President and Founder of Novus Group, with the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award. The
team will show a recap video of the Steelers Youth Football Camp that took place in Mexico City
in late May. The Steelers will also honor a local soldier of Hispanic descent as this game’s Salute
to Heroes honoree.
For their Hispanic Heritage Celebration, the Chargers will honor Raymond Uzeta, President and
CEO of The Chicano Federation, with the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award on October
13 when they face the Denver Broncos. Halftime festivities will feature performances by Mariachi
Real de San Diego and Ballet Xochitl, a traditional ballet folklorico group.
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the San Francisco 49ers presented Robert A. DeJesus,
Assistant Chief Probation Officer (Ret), Santa Clara County Office of Probation, with the NFL
Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award at their August 26 game against the Green Bay Packers.
The 49ers’ Community Mondays program is a season-long program designed to reach out to local
underserved populations. During Hispanic Heritage Month, the Community Mondays program will
focus specifically in assisting Hispanic youth who are socio-economically disadvantaged.
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin and
mascot Blitz, along with Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole, Deputy Chief Carmen Best and
members of the NW Premier Junior Football/Police Athletic League Flag Football Program,
surprised Sergeant Adrian Diaz with the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award on September
13 at a team practice.
On September 9, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers continued their tradition of partnering with
Hillsborough County to host the “Eat at Joe’s Latin Style” event in downtown Tampa at Joe
Chillura Courthouse Square. The event featured live Latin music and performances by the
Buccaneers Cheerleaders. Nearly 300 students from local schools celebrated with the Bucs Street
Team and enjoyed activities like PLAY 60 drills in the Bucs Squad Experience and tours through
the Bucs Street Team RV. On October 2, when the Buccaneers host the Denver Broncos, the
team will present Maritza Astorquiza, Managing Partner of Coda Sound, with the NFL Hispanic
Heritage Leadership Award.
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Tennessee Titans will present Jose Gonzalez, CoFounder and Finance Director of Conexion Americas, with the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership
Award during an on field pregame presentation at their game against the Oakland Raiders on
September 27.
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Washington Redskins will present Jessica HerreraFlanigan, Executive Vice President, Government and Corporate Affairs, Univision, with the NFL
Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award on September 18 when they face the Dallas Cowboys.
# # #