Rolando Cantu

Rolando Roel Cantú (born February 25, 1981) is a Mexican former American football player who was a tackle for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He was the first Mexican football player trained in the Mexican collegiate system to become an active NFL player. Today, he is a broadcaster and promoter of the Cardinals and NFL in Mexico and U.S. Spanish media, working to develop talent in Mexico with camps and clinics for young people.

Early life Rolando Cantú was born on February 25, 1981, in Monterrey, Mexico, the youngest of seven children. While Cantú was still young, the family moved to border town Reynosa in neighbor state of Tamaulipas, so he could attended grade school at the U.S. town of McAllen, Texas, driven across the border every day. He grew up a fan of the Dallas Cowboys, watching games with his father on TV as the NFL has begun broadcasting games in the country's local stations.

He played various sports including American football with neighborhood friends as well as in Pop Warner, which Cantú recalls saying it's taken seriously in Mexico. He always was bigger than other kids his age, and had to show his birth certificate when signing up for baseball and football teams because of his size. Eventually, he decided he was too big and rough for soccer.

Because of age and talent, he didn't needed to work like his siblings at his father's meat market . In junior high school, he was on the team but did not plan originally on a career in sports, figuring he would work for his father at a latter date. But on his first day at McAllen High School, the school's defense coach asked why he hadn't joined the football team. Cantú replied that he wanted to earn money to buy a car, but the coach didn't accepted it, ordering practice that very day. Cantú took football more seriously at his sophomore year, and when he achieved junior moved to the offensive line.

At that time, college football was a seven-year commitment, divided into three playing levels. Cantú, because of his size and talent was able skip the two lower levels and start as an 18-year-old at the highest level.

Professional career His eligibility to play Mexican collegiate sports ended in 2003. There was an opportunity to try out for the NFL Europe league, but he almost did not make it. He had an accident with a double trailer which totaled the car he was driving to a tryout for NFL Europe. Under Mexican law, he should have stayed as the accident caused damage to city property. However, he called his then-girlfriend (now wife Carmen Valenzuela ) who got to the scene before the police and told him to go to the tryout. She would take blame for the accident. He showed up an hour late to the tryout, but it earned him a tryout for central NFL Europe and a training camp in Tampa. He impressed in Tampa, earning a spot on the Berlin Thunder. He played in nine games for the Thunder. was with the team two season, 2005 and 2006, Cantu made his first and only NFL game appearance on January 1, 2006, against the Indianapolis Colts. that game, Cantú became the first Mexican player trained in the Mexican collegiate system to play professionally in the NFL.

Despite the importance of the game to Cantu personally, his family was not there to see it. His wife was with their then 3-month old and he decided the trip to Indianapolis was too far. During his recuperation, the coaching staff of the team changed and he was released in July 2006. He had to find a new team or retire, and chose the latter.

Post-football career Fortunately, Cantú has an outgoing personality and does public relations well. He became extremely popular with the Mexican and Mexican American communities on both sides of the border, with Mexican and other Spanish media covering his football career closely. and Gatorade signed him as a spokesperson for the Spanish-speaking community. Instead of simply letting him go, the Cardinal offered him a position in administration. He is currently their manager of international business ventures and does commentary on the team's Spanish language radio broadcasts. He serves as a quasi-ambassador for the Cardinals and the rest of the NFL in Mexico, using his contacts in Mexican universities to scout for talent. The main goal is to find talent early and get the candidates college scholarships. Mexico has become known for producing kickers but Cantu believes there is talent for other positions as well, it is just a matter of finding it. He does not regret pursuing the NFL or the shift into the business side of football since the injury, stating "I feel blessed."