With the IFAF Senior World Championship just five days away now, each day we will preview a team competing in the tournament. Here is a look at Mexico.
About American Football in Mexico:
American football has been played in Mexico since the early 1920s at different colleges and universities. In 1928 the first professional championship was played, and as more universities and colleges joined the championship, four categories – called fuerzas – were created. The First Fuerza became the National League in 1970, and in 1978 it was reorganized under the present league, ONEFA. Mexico has many leagues with college, junior, and youth leagues under the guidance of the country’s national federation FederaciĆ³n Mexicana de FĆŗtbol Americano, A. C.
Mexico boasts four players who have been members of the NFL International Practice Squad Program and spent the 2008 NFL training camp, preseason and regular season on the practice squads of NFL teams. Linebacker Eduardo Castadena (Arizona Cardinals), defensive tackle Mauricio Lopez (Oakland Raiders), linebacker Manuel Padilla (Denver Broncos), tackle Ramiro Pruneda (San Francisco 49ers) and defensive tackle Saloman Solano (Baltimore Ravens) all excelled in their native Mexico before progressing to the NFL.
Mexico is no stranger to international competition at the collegiate age level. The Aztec Bowl is an NCAA-sanctioned college Division III post-season bowl game that has been played intermittently since at least 1950. With one exception, all of the games have been played at locations in Mexico and since 1997 the bowl has featured a team of AFCA Division III All-Stars against a team of Mexican All-Stars. The Aztec Bowl is traditionally played in mid-December.
Mexico’s Senior National team is led by head coach Raul Rivera.
Head Coach Raul Rivera’s thoughts on the upcoming tournament:
“We believe we have a team that will be able to fight one on one with any of the other teams at the Senior World Championship,” said head coach Raul Rivera. “We know that there will be strong opponents, but as far as I know it will still be 11 to 11 on the field and that gives us the ability to defeat any opponent.”
Coaching Staff:
RaĆŗl Rivera SĆ”nchez, Head Coach (UNAM)
Manuel Neri FernƔndez, Asst Head Coach (UNAM)
Rafael Duk, Asst Head Coach (UVM)
Edgar Zapata, Offensive Coordinator (UNAM)
Carlos Baroccio, Wide Receivers (SMU)
Javier GarcĆa, Running Backs (UNAM)
Ulises GutiƩrrez, Offensive Line (UNAM)
Gabriel SƔnchez, Linebackers (UNAM)
Miguel Romero, Defensive Backs (UNAM)
AgustĆn Lazarini, Team Doctor (FMFA)
Juan Ranferi, Team Trainer (UNAM)
Jorge Orobio, FMFA President
Players to Watch:
Defensive Tackle Saloman Solano
6-4, 265 – UAT
Defensive tackle SALOMAN SOLANO excelled in his native Mexico before progressing to the NFL.
Solano played college football at Tamaulipas. He played with NFL Europe’s Rhein Fire in 2006 and then went on to be a member of the Baltimore Ravens and Detroit Lions practice squad.
Salomon Solano was on the staff of the Mexican team that took fourth place at the 2009 IFAF Junior World Championship and also was a coach of the World team in 2010. In 2008, he was a member of the Baltimore Ravens practice squad and has represented Mexico as a player at the junior national team level. He was the defensive coordinator of his alma mater the University of Tamaulipas in 2009. He also played with NFL Europe’s Rhein Fire in 2006.
Linebacker Jovanni Carrillo
6-2, 214 – IPN
Linebacker Jovanni Carrillo currently plays in the ONEFA for the White Eagles.
He enters the IFAF Senior World Championship will plenty of international experience. In 2009, Carrillo was selected to the junior national team that competed at the 2009 IFAF Junior World Championship in Canton, Ohio.
Carrillo also played for the World team at the 2010 Team USA vs the World game in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Mexico has developed several players who have been members of the NFL International Practice Squad Program and spent time in NFL training camp and on the practice squads of NFL teams – many of which have been selected to the Mexican Senior National team.
Linebacker EDUARDO CASTADENA (Arizona Cardinals), defensive tackle MAURICIO LOPEZ (Oakland Raiders), linebacker MANUEL PADILLA (Denver Broncos), tackle RAMIRO PRUNEDA (San Francisco 49ers) and defensive tackle SALOMAN SOLANO (Baltimore Ravens) all excelled in their native Mexico before progressing to the NFL.
Running back Jose Reyes
5-6, 209 – ITESM
Reyes knows how to run against American defenses. Last month in Tanzania he rushed for 124 yards and a touchdown against Drake University from Iowa in the Global Kilimanjaro Bowl, the first game of college American football ever played on African soil.
Other Player Notes:
Three players on Mexico’s 75-man roster have played at previous IFAF Senior World Championships:
LB – Guillermo Ruiz – 1999 & 2003
CB – Roberto Silva – 2003
LB – Jorge Valdez – 2003
Game Schedule for Mexico:
Friday, July 8: Germany vs Mexico Innsbruck
Sunday, July 10: Mexico vs Australia Innsbruck
Tuesday, July 12: USA vs Mexico Innsbruck
Placement Games July 15 & 16 in Vienna, Austria
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