Héctor Zepeda

Héctor Andrés Zepeda Hernández (born 1 November 1997) is a Mexican professional football offensive lineman. He played college football at the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM), where he won two national championships with the Borregos Salvajes Monterrey. He was selected to participate in the National Football League (NFL)'s International Player Pathway Program (IPPP) in 2022 and 2023. Zepeda was also drafted by the Ottawa Redblacks in the first round of the 2022 CFL global draft.

Early life Zepeda was born in Ensenada, Baja California, and moved to Tijuana soon afterward due to his father's job. He played indoor soccer and basketball as a child. He also competed in sport shooting, winning a gold medal in the 13–14-year-old category at the 2011 (National Olympics). Zepeda began playing American football at the age of 14; his middle school physical education teacher convinced him to join the team, which he coached. He subsequently played football in high school at the Instituto México in Tijuana.

College career Zepeda received a scholarship to play college football with the Borregos Salvajes Monterrey, representing the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM).

Professional career In October 2021, Zepeda attended an NFL International Combine held in Monterrey. His performance earned him an invitation to participate in the National Football League (NFL)'s International Player Pathway Program (IPPP) in 2022 alongside 12 other prospects. Two of his former teammates at ITESM, Isaac Alarcón and Alfredo Gutiérrez, had been signed to NFL teams after participating in the program in 2020 and 2021, respectively. However, no team signed him. The following month, Zepeda was drafted by the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL) with the eighth overall pick in the 2022 CFL global draft. He chose to return to Mexico to play in the 2022 college season. He was selected to the International Player Pathway Program for the second year in a row, being named along with 10 other athletes as a member of the 2023 class. Following training camp, he accepted a position on the team's practice roster. Zepeda was released by Ottawa on 3 November 2024.

Personal life Zepeda is the first member of his family to have played American football, and his parents did not know much about it when he began. Zepeda used the #79 jersey in college to honor his grandfather, who died at the age of 79.