HISPANICS MAKING THEIR MARK (HACIENDO SU MARCA) ON THE NFL! - Ingles

Every year, Hispanic players are playing more of a role in the NFL. Following are some examples:

• Chicago Bears center ROBERTO GARZA hosted 150 children from his hometown area of Rio Grande Valley, Texas at the fourth annual Roberto Garza Skills and Drills football camp in June. “It’s a great feeling when you’re able to provide a free camp like this for the kids,” said Garza. “This is my chance to give back and spend some time with the kids. I like to talk to them about what it takes to play in the NFL and, more importantly, what it takes to live out a dream. We stress education at the camp and talk about exercising. We talk about eating right and just believing in yourself. We’re just trying to make these kids more productive students in school and in life.”

• New York Jets quarterback MARK SANCHEZ led the team to the AFC Championship game last season for the second year in a row. In only his second NFL season, Sanchez has already tied the all-time record for the most road wins in the playoffs by a starting quarterback. This offseason, he teamed up with Sam’s Club to tackle prevalent health issues for its 2011 Giving Made Simple campaign, where members and associates help determine a portion of the company’s charitable donations. Sanchez is helping to raise awareness of such matters as childhood obesity and access to prevention programs in an effort to help change consumer behaviors and drive donations to programs striving to make a difference for people of all ages. “As a professional athlete, I know how important it is to take care of my body and stay healthy,” said Sanchez. “Unfortunately, not all communities have the resources that families need to live healthy lifestyles. Through Sam’s Club Giving Made Simple, we can all support organizations that promote healthy living in our communities with just a simple click of the mouse.”

• New England Patriots tight end AARON HERNANDEZ took part in National Mental Health Awareness Month activities this past May. He made an appearance at a local elementary school where he stressed to school children the importance of taking care of both mind and emotions because they are “as important as taking care of your bodies.” The event was an effort to raise awareness of mental health issues as well as to spotlight the need for more mental health providers who can care for the Latino populations. He also attended the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology’s annual gala to support the Dr. Cynthia Lucero Latino Mental Health Program, which concentrates on the need to train professionals who can culturally and linguistically relate to the caring of Latinos. “I thought it was a perfect charity for me to get involved with,” Hernandez said. “It’s geared toward training with mental health specialists with the Hispanic population. I know I trained with professional psychologists at college when I was going through hard times. I know it’s a hard thing, especially for young kids in their lives to open up about things.”

• Atlanta Falcons tight end TONY GONZALEZ became the first tight end in NFL history to reach 1,000 receptions by catching a 20-yard pass from Matt Ryan in last year’s season opener. Overall, Gonzalez is the seventh player all-time to reach the 1,000-catch milestone. “It was really great finally catching my 1,000th pass,” said Gonzalez. “I’m very proud of that accomplishment. It shows how blessed I have been to play the great game of football for a very long time.”

The NFL will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month during Week 3 of the 2011 season. A national spotlight will be shined on the NFL’s celebration during Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football that week. The Pittsburgh Steelers face the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, September 25 and the Washington Redskins take on the Dallas Cowboys on Monday, September 26.

A list of some of the 2011 Hispanic NFL players:

Ken Amato LS Tennessee
Ziggy Hood DE Pittsburgh
Javier Arenas (above) CB Kansas City
Juaquin Iglesias WR Minnesota
Greg Camarillo WR Minnesota
Travis Johnson DE San Diego
Jonathan Casillas LB New Orleans
Knowshon Moreno RB Denver
Luis Castillo DE San Diego
Manuel Ramirez G Denver
Shaun Cody T Houston
Tony Romo QB Dallas
Willie Colon T Pittsburgh
Mark Sanchez QB New York Jets
Victor Cruz WR New York Giants
Andrew Sendejo S Dallas
Brian De La Puente G New Orleans
Daniel Sepulveda P Pittsburgh
Greg Estandia TE Cleveland
John Skelton QB Cardinals
Antonio Garay DT San Diego
Sean Smith CB Miami
Roberto Garza C Chicago
Anthony Toribio DT Kansas City
Anthony Gonzalez WR Indianapolis
Jose Valdez T Atlanta
Tony Gonzalez TE Atlanta
Louis Vasquez G San Diego
Joselio Hanson CB Philadelphia
Fernando Velasco C Tennessee
Aaron Hernandez TE New England
Roberto Wallace WR Miami