Jess Rodriguez
| Jess Rodriguez | |
|---|---|
| Born |
August 7, 1901 Avilés, Spain |
| Died | October 12, 1983 (aged 82) |
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) |
| Weight | 160 pounds (73 kg) |
| Position(s) | Fullback, Halfback, Tailback |
| College | Salem University |
| Career highlights | |
| Honors | First Hispanic-American NFL player |
| Statistics | |
| Teams | |
| 1929 | Buffalo Bisons |
Jesse Rodriguez (August 7, 1901 – October 12, 1983) was a professional football player for the Buffalo Bisons of the National Football League. He played for the team during their final 1929 season. He was the first Hispanic-American to play in the NFL and the second person of Hispanic descent to play in the league. Prior to 1999, Rodriguez was considered to be the first Latino to play in the league; however it was later discovered that Cuban-American Lou Molinet played for the Frankford Yellow Jackets in 1927 (however, because Molinet was a Cuban citizen at the time, he was not technically a Hispanic-American).
References
- General History - Latin-Americans in Pro Football
- Pigskin Pioneer Remembered
- 1989-1980 Necrology - Oldest Living Pro Football Players