Temple’s Maddux Trujillo Drills Historic 64-Yard Field Goal

Posted on September 21, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Maddux Trujillo has kicked his way into the history books.

The Latino kicker for the Temple Owls nailed a 64-yard field goal against Utah State to set the record for the longest field goal in Lincoln Financial Field history. The booming kick broke the record of 61 yards set by Jake Elliott of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021.

It’s also the longest field goal in college football in more than a decade and a half.

The Owls opted to kick the field goal in lieu of a Hail Mary as the first half expired.

Trujillo has a big leg and previously nailed a 54-yarder against Coastal Carolina in Week 3, but this attempt was from behind the midfield mark and right hash of the field. The kick sailed through the air and hooked just inside of the right goal post for a truly historic make.

The field goal not only ranks as the best in the history of the stadium that houses the Eagles, but would in fact rank among the longest kicks in NFL history. Only Justin Tucker‘s 66-yarder in 2021 was longer than Trujillo’s. He would tie Matt Prater‘s 64-yarder in 2013 as the second-longest. Six other players are tied for third with a 63-yarder.

The 64-yard field goal is the longest in FBS play since 2008, when UTEP‘s Jose Martinez nailed a 64-yarder of his own. The last time a player made a longer kick was Kansas State‘s Martin Gramatica in 1998, who booted a 65-yarder.

The senior Trujillo transferred to Temple after starting three years at FCS Austin Peay. Thanks to the Governors’ realignment history, he was named all-conference in three different seasons in three different leagues, ultimately connecting on 38 of his 53 field goal attempts. Trujillo has connected on 4 of 5 field goal attempts, including a 49-yarder against Oklahoma and the 54-yarder against Coastal Carolina.

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Tatyana Ali to Appear on Season Three of ABC’s Hit Comedy Series “Abbott Elementary”

Posted on March 11, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Tatyana Ali is heading to the classroom…

The 45-year-old half-Afro-Panamanian American actress and singer will appear on season three of ABC’s hit comedy series Abbott Elementary.

Ali, best known for her roles on NBC’s The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and CBS’ long-running soap opera The Young and the Restless, is among a list of recently announced guest stars/recurring stars that includes Lana Condor, Keegan-Michael Key, Cree Summer and Karan Soni.

It’s been a star-studded season on the Emmy-winning series.

During Sunday’s post-Oscars special episode, Bradley Cooper made a special appearance, while Season 3 kicked off in February on a high note with guest appearances from Philadelphia Eagles players Jalen Hurts, Brandon Graham and Jason Kelce.

The series has also previously had guest appearances from Taraji P. Henson, Ayo Edebiri, Vince Staples and Leslie Odom Jr.

Abbott Elementary takes place in a predominantly Black Philadelphia public school. Quinta Brunson, who created the series, plays Janine Teagues, an optimistic second-grade teacher who makes it her mission to help enrich her students’ lives while also managing her own personal life.

Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti, William Stanford Davis and Sheryl Lee Ralph also star.

NFL Rookie Isiah Pacheco Helps Lead Kansas City Chiefs to Super Bowl Win Over Philadelphia Eagles

Posted on February 13, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

It’s an unforgettable end to an unbelievable NFL rookie season for Isiah Pacheco.

The 23-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American running back scored a touchdown to help lead the Kansas City Chiefs‘ to victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII on Sunday.

Pacheco, who was taken in the last round of the 2022 NFL Draft, can boast about something that few others can, being an NFL champion after the Chiefs’ 38-35 victory over the Eagles.

On Sunday, he excelled with a touchdown and ran for 76 yards, with 15 carries and an average of 5.1 in each one.

His season was impressive, as he rushed for 830 yards with five touchdowns and averaged 4.9 yards per carry in the regular season.

Those numbers were highlighted by Patrick Mahomes, the team’s star, who singled him out for praise.

“He’s so physically gifted, it’s hard for defenses to account for how physical he is,” Mahomes said after the Divisional Round win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

And he proved that on Sunday, as the Eagles defense slowed him down on only a few occasions with hard hits, one in the fourth quarter, but he got up to stay in the game.

That commitment and dedication was rewarded for Pacheco, who keeps his feet on the ground and, as an NFL champion, knows that doing everything with effort and as a team is the best recommendation for all young players.

“Work, listen to your parents, put your best effort into everything you do,” he said when he was interviewed by ESPN during the celebrations.

“Coach always told us that teamwork is the most important thing.

“Today was an example that together we are all capable of achieving whatever we set out to do.”

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Sanchez to Play for the Dallas Cowboys This NFL Season

Posted on September 4, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Mark Sanchez has found a new home, home on the range…

The Dallas Cowboys have made it official, signing the 29-year-old Mexican American veteran NFL quarterback two days after he was released by the Denver Broncos.

To make room for Sanchez, Dallas released Jameill Showers, who was the team’s No. 3 quarterback during the preseason. Showers started the preseason finale for the Cowboys, completing 10 of 25 attempts for 91 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Sanchez, who didn’t play in the Broncos’ final two preseason games, completed 20 of 30 attempts for one touchdown and one interception in the first two exhibition games with Denver.

He previously spent several seasons with the New York Jets, as well as one season with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Cowboys were in need of a veteran presence after Tony Romo suffered a broken bone in his back, forcing him to miss as many as 10 weeks.

Dallas named rookie Dak Prescott as its starting QB.

Alonso Undergoes Surgery and Should Return for Play This Season

Posted on October 1, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

It looks like Kiko Alonso will be heading back on the field this season…

The 25-year-old Cuban/Colombian American linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee earlier this week and will be able to play again this season, according to an NFL source.

Alonso, who injured the knee in Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys, could return to the Eagles as early as a few weeks from now, the source told ESPN.

It was originally thought that Alonso had suffered a significant ACL tear, but further testing showed that was not the case.

The main reason he’s expected to play again this season is that there is good stability in his left ACL, the source said.

Eagles coach Chip Kelly said Wednesday that Alonso was rehabbing the knee and that the team would see him Friday.

Kelly has been asked a few times about the injury since Week 2, but only would say that Alonso had a sprain.

Guardado Leads Mexico to 3-1 Win Over Jamaica in CONCACAF Gold Cup Title Match

Posted on July 27, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Andrés Guardado is returning south of the border as Mexico’s new soccer hero…

The 28-year-old Mexican futbol player, who plays for Dutch club PSV Eindhoven and the Mexico national team, scored his fourth goal of the knockout rounds to help propel Mexico to its seventh CONCACAF Gold Cup title Sunday with a 3-1 victory over upstart Jamaica.

Jesus Corona and Oribe Peralta contributed goals as El Tri scored twice early in the second half to ensure this match wouldn’t come down to any calls in the final minutes.

It was a convincing performance for coach Miguel Herrera and his team after some rough play and contentious moments in the previous two games.

Jamaica had made a rousing run to the final, stunning the U.S. in the semis to become the first Caribbean nation to reach the Gold Cup’s championship match. And they looked as though they belonged in the opening minutes, keeping the pressure on Mexico with several promising scoring chances but never putting a shot on goal.

Jamaica hadn’t trailed since early in the second half of its Gold Cup opener before a yellow card helped lead to Mexico’s first goal.

Darren Mattocks scored in the 80th minute to pull the Reggae Boyz within 3-1.

El Tri will face the U.S., the 2013 Gold Cup champions, on October 9 for CONCACAF’S spot in the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia.

The only way Mexico had been able to score in the knockout rounds before Sunday had been on penalty kicks, all three by Guardado. And two of those came on late, questionable calls.

Against Costa Rica in the quarterfinals, a scoreless game was moments from going to a shootout when Guardado converted his penalty in the final minute of extra time. Mexico had been the better team that day, but that wasn’t the case in the semifinals. Down to 10 men, Panama was on the verge of victory when a disputed hand ball set up a penalty for Guardado in second-half stoppage time, and he scored on another for the winner in extra time.

Mexico had gone 272 minutes since one of its players scored on anything other than a penalty when Guardado put El Tri ahead for good Sunday. Jonathan dos Santos found Paul Aguilar out wide on a free kick, and Aguilar crossed it to Guardado, whose left-footed volley made it 1-0 in the 31st minute. It was his sixth goal of the tournament, one behind Clint Dempsey of the U.S.

Guardado came off to a thunderous ovation from the pro-Mexico crowd of 68,930 at Lincoln Financial Field, home of the NFL‘s Philadelphia Eagles.

Romo Rallies the Dallas Cowboys in Final Minutes to Beat the New York Giants

Posted on November 24, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Tony Romo has a giant(s) second half to lead his team to victory…

The 34-year-old Mexican American Dallas Cowboys quarterback made critical plays in the second half to beat the New York Giants on Sunday night.

Romo threw two touchdown passes to Dez Bryant, the winner from 13 yards with 1:01 remaining, lifting the Cowboys to a comeback 31-28 victory.

“You gain an understanding that you’re never really out of it,” Romo said. “You are comfortable being in uncomfortable situations. That comes from having been through it and going out and finding a way to win. Once you do that a few times, the team can believe in that.”

Romo could’ve written a book on winning drives while staging this one; he never was pressured in leading the Cowboys 80 yards to the winning score.

“Any time you’re afforded the amount of time at the end of the game, it’s huge,” he said. “They (the offensive line) are a special group of guys who work their butts off and deserve a lot of credit for this game and this season.”

Romo threw for two TDs in the third quarter and Barry Church‘s interception helped turn things around for the Cowboys. But the Giants (3-8), trailing 24-21, staged a 93-yard drive capped by Adrien Robinson‘s first career TD catch. That 1-yard score with 3 minutes remaining could’ve snapped New York’s slide that now stands at six losses.

Dallas (8-3) roared back. Romo found Bryant in the back of the end zone to win it, setting up an NFC East showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles on Thanksgiving Day for first place.

“Now we have another challenge coming up real quick,” Romo said. “Philly is playing great football so we’re going to have to play better than we did tonight to win that game.”

Dallas, which was treated to chants of “Let’s Go Cowboys!” in the second half from hundreds of fans in Cowboys garb, is 5-0 on the road. New York was eliminated from division contention.

Romo was 18-of-26 for 275 yards and never appeared bothered by back problems that sidelined him for one of the Cowboys’ defeats this year.

Sanchez Agrees to a One-Year-Deal with the Philadelphia Eagles

Posted on March 28, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Mark Sanchez is flying high after landing a new NFL gig…

The 27-year-old Mexican American pro football star, a former quarterback for the New York Jets, has signed a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The deal comes a week after the Eagles lost quarterback Michael Vick to the Jets.

Sanchez’s deal is for $2.25 million and includes a $750,000 signing bonus, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. The contract also includes up to an additional $1.75 million in bonuses, bringing the maximum value of the deal to $4 million. Sanchez can achieve his bonuses by playing up to 90 percent of the Eagles’ offensive plays.

The Eagles have called a news conference for 10:30 a.m. ET on Friday to introduce Sanchez.

Sanchez, released last Friday as soon as Vick’s deal with the Jets was complete, arrived in Philadelphia on Wednesday night and underwent a medical exam Thursday morning.

The parameters of the contract were set Monday, but the medical check was key because Sanchez is recovering from surgery on his throwing shoulder — a torn labrum that caused him to miss the entire 2013 season.

Sanchez, who resumed throwing recently, is said to be about 80 percent healthy. His hope is to be ready for OTA practices later in the spring. He also had arthroscopic knee surgery last season.

Nick Foles is the Eagles’ starter, but Sanchez’s presence should add some intrigue. Sanchez is 33-29 as a starter, and he has four playoff victories. He was the presumed opening day starter last season after outplaying rookie Geno Smith in the preseason, but he injured his shoulder in the fourth quarter of the Jets’ third preseason game.

Sanchez joins another former USC quarterback, Matt Barkley, on the Eagles’ depth chart. Presumably, Sanchez will be the No. 2.

Sanchez, the fifth overall pick in the 2009 draft, reached the AFC Championship Game in his first two seasons. The Jets regressed after that, going 14-18 over the next two seasons and missing the playoffs each time.

Romo Surpasses Aikman’s Franchise Record in Cowboys Victory

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

The Dallas Cowboys have a new career touchdown passes leader… And, his name is Tony Romo.

The 32-year-old Cowboys quarterback threw for three touchdowns to pass Troy Aikman‘s career mark of 165 TD passes and claim Dallas’ franchise record as the Cowboys beat the Philadelphia Eagles 38-33 on Sunday night.

The Cowboys (6-6) trailed 27-24 when Romo led an 86-yard drive that was sparked by a 35-yard pass to Dez Bryant on third down. Bryant gave Dallas the lead when he took a screen pass from the 6 and got inside the pylon with 5:40 remaining.

The Eagles (3-9) lost their eighth straight game despite 169 yards rushing and two touchdowns from rookie Bryce Brown a week after he set a team rookie record with 178 yards.

After Romo’s go-ahead touchdown pass, Dallas went up by 11 when Morris Claiborne returned a fumble by Brown 50 yards for a touchdown.

Brown’s fumble snapped a streak of eight straight scoring drives by both teams.

Philadelphia had a chance for an improbable rally when Damaris Johnson returned a punt 98 yards with 31 seconds left. After a failed 2-point conversion kept the score at 38-33, the Cowboys recovered the onside kick.

“It’s about winning games,” said Romo, who was 10 of 10 in the second half and completed his last 12 passes. “We desperately had to have this win tonight, and our team fought like heck to get a win.”

Romo completed 22 of 27 for 303 yards with no interceptions and a passer rating of 150.5. He’s the fifth QB since 2000 with three touchdowns and no incompletions in the second half of a game.

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