He dreamed of playing for Chivas and ended up in the NFL

Among the many uplifting stories that sports produce, Rigoberto Sánchez’s stands out. The Indianapolis Colts punter, who has Mexican roots, took an unusual path to the NFL — he grew up more familiar with the round soccer ball than the oval-shaped one used in American football.

The California native recently spoke with Ricardo López Juárez about his journey and everything he had to overcome to reach the league.

“As a kid, I was always a soccer fan. My dad was very supportive — he’s a big Chivas de Guadalajara fan, and so am I. I remember watching games when I was little; it was a great team with players like Ramón Morales and ‘Venado’ Medina.

“I didn’t take it that seriously at first, I just played for fun”

After high school, I had to decide where to go next. I ended up playing football at Butte College, mostly because my friends from high school were there. I didn’t take it that seriously at first — I just played for fun since it was a small school.

Soccer was my dream. I wanted to become a professional, maybe play in Mexico or even in England. But I had to choose between moving three hours away to Santa Rosa to play soccer, or staying home to play at Butte College. I chose to stay — and that’s how I ended up in football.

I used to make field goals all the time, and that came naturally because of soccer. Then I started working hard to learn how to punt, and I fell in love with the way the ball flew. Once I realized I could really do it, everything changed — and here we are.”

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Sánchez’s story is even more remarkable considering that he joined the Colts in 2017 as an undrafted free agent and, in 2020, underwent surgery to remove a malignant tumor. Today, he remains one of the most reliable punters in the league — a player who’s earned recognition for his consistency and perseverance. He and the Colts are enjoying a tremendous run, leading the AFC South and holding the top seed in the conference.

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