Patriots’ Christian Gonzalez Among NFL’s Influx Of Young Latin Stars

The celebration of Hispanic and Latine Heritage Month often comes with a focus on baseball, but there's a new era of NFL stars that are breaking down barriers -- including New England Patriots rookie Christian Gonzalez.

The NFL has seen an influx of talented Latin players in recent seasons, which is a welcomed change considering the underrepresentation the league has ignored since its inception. In 2022, the NFL reported 20 players identified as Latino, which marked an increase of 66% percent from the season prior but still accounts for less than 1% of the league's total population.

Gonzalez is one of the players who helped influence that positive push.

The 21-year-old was the only Latino drafted in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, joining New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave and guard Cesar Ruiz as the only players to accomplish that feat in the last five seasons.

Gonzalez, whose father is Colombian, said his heritage was the inspiration behind the suit he wore on draft night. It featured the colors of the Colombian flag on the inside.

"My dad was born in Colombia and he moved to America to play basketball when he was 18." Gonzalez told reporters following the draft, per team-provided audio. "It means the world to me, to be able to put on for South America. They don't really play football over there, so having little kids know they can do what they want if the set their mind to it, I just want them to know they have someone they can look up to."

"It means the world to me, to be able to put on for South America."

Patriots rookie Christian Gonzalez

In the last three years, young players like Olave, Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco, Detroit Lions linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez and New York Jets offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker have stepped in and immediately become starters for their respective squads.

Just like Gonzalez, they will hope to become the next generation of Latino stars to reach the ultimate goal of becoming members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, like tight end Tony Gonzalez, offensive tackle Anthony Munoz and quarterback Jim Plunkett.