NFL Recognizes 32 Hispanic Leaders With Heritage Awards

23 Sep 2016 by Simon Mayorga in Celebrities, Event, Fame, General, Home, Pleasure, Sports, Television

The National Football League and its teams will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a series of special events from September 15 -October 15. The theme of this year’s recognition is “Feel the Orgullo.”  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/NFLNetwork.

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

 

 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.
Atlanta Falcons

 

 The Atlanta Falcons will present Anibal Torres, Executive Director of the Latin American Association, with the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award.
Baltimore Ravens

 

 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.
Buffalo Bills

 

 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.
Carolina Panthers

 

 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.
Chicago Bears

 

 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 pre-game game  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.
Cincinnati Bengals

 

 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.
Cleveland Browns

 

 The Cleveland Browns will present José Feliciano, Partner at Baker & Hostetler, with the NFLHispanic 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.
Dallas Cowboys

 

 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 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.
Denver Broncos

 

 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.
Detroit Lions

 

 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.
Green Bay Packers 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.
Houston Texans 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.
Indianapolis Colts

 

 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.
Jacksonville Jaguars

 

 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.
Kansas City Chiefs

 

 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 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.
Miami Dolphins 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.
Minnesota Vikings 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.
New England Patriots 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.
New Orleans Saints

 

 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 onSeptember 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.
New York Giants

 

 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 30announcing 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.
New York Jets

 

 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.
Oakland Raiders

 

 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 NFLTochito 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.
Philadelphia Eagles 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

 

 

 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.
San Diego Chargers

 

 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.
San Francisco 49ers 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.
Seattle Seahawks 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.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 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 theNFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award.
Tennessee Titans

 

 In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Tennessee Titans will present Jose Gonzalez, Co-Founder 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.
Washington Redskins In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Washington Redskins will present Jessica Herrera-Flanigan, Executive Vice President, Government and Corporate Affairs, Univision, with the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award on September 18 when they face the Dallas Cowboys.

 

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