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José Antonio Cortez (born May 27, 1975) is a Salvadoran former professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
placekicker In gridiron football, the placekicker (PK), or simply kicker (K), is the player responsible for attempts at scoring Field goal (football), field goals and extra points. In most cases, the placekicker also serves as the team's kickoff specialist ...
. He played for 10
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL) teams, as well as short stints in
NFL Europe NFL Europe League (simply called NFL Europe and known in its final season as NFL Europa) was a professional American football league that functioned as the List of developmental and minor sports leagues, developmental minor league of the Nati ...
, the XFL, and the
Arena Football League The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 Arena Football League season, 1987 season, making it the third longest-runnin ...
(AFL). His longest stints were two season stints with the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
and
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
. He played
college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
at
Oregon State University Oregon State University (OSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate degree programs and a variety of graduate and doctor ...
. He is the first Salvadoran to play in the NFL.


Early life

Cortez arrived in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
with his mother and younger sister at the age of 15, without any legal documents, to get away from the civil war ravaging his natal country. He reunited with his father and older sister, who were already living in
Van Nuys, California Van Nuys ( ) is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Van Nuys City Hall, Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley ...
. He did not speak any English, when he first began attending
Van Nuys High School Van Nuys High School (VNHS) is a public high school in the Van Nuys district of Los Angeles, belonging to the Los Angeles Unified School District: District 2. The school is home to a Residential Program and three Magnet Programs—Math/Science, P ...
. He was the goalkeeper of the soccer squad for two years, before trying out for the football team as a senior.


College career

Cortez enrolled at
Los Angeles Valley College Los Angeles Valley College (LAVC, Valley College, or Valley) is a public community college in Los Angeles, California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, ...
, where he was both the kicker and punter. As a freshman in 1995, he contributed to the team winning the Community College Championship. He transferred after his sophomore season to
Oregon State University Oregon State University (OSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate degree programs and a variety of graduate and doctor ...
, where he was a two-year
letterman Letterman may refer to: * Letterman (sports), a classification of high school or college athlete in the United States People * David Letterman (born 1947), American television talk show host ** ''Late Night with David Letterman'', talk show that ...
. As a junior, he was named the starter at placekicker and received honorable-mention All-Pac-10 honors, after converting 11-of-19
field goal A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. Consequently, ...
attempts (57.9%), with a long of 45 yards. As a senior, he made 17-of-26 field goals (65.4%). Against California, he connected three field goals longer than 50 yards (50, 52, 55). He finished his college career after making 28-of-47 field goal attempts (62.2%).


Professional career


Cleveland Browns

Cortez was signed as an
undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
by the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
after the
1999 NFL draft The 1999 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 17–18, 1999, at the Theater at M ...
, on April 23. He was waived after four preseason games on September 3.


San Diego Chargers

On September 14, he was signed by the
San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...
. He was released on November 30.


New York Giants

On December 15, 1999, he was signed to the
practice squad In gridiron football, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. They serve as extra players during the team's practices, often as part of the scou ...
of the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
. On December 17, he was promoted to the active roster. He played in one game with the Giants, where he had two kickoffs and did not attempt any field goals. He was released on December 22.


Amsterdam Admirals

In February 2000, he was signed by the
San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...
and allocated to the
Amsterdam Admirals The Amsterdam Admirals were a professional American football team based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, playing in the NFL Europe. History The Admirals were formed in 1995 as part of the NFL's plan to restart the World League of American Football, t ...
of
NFL Europe NFL Europe League (simply called NFL Europe and known in its final season as NFL Europa) was a professional American football league that functioned as the List of developmental and minor sports leagues, developmental minor league of the Nati ...
. Due to a rule requiring national players to kick short field goals, Cortez shared duties with Dutch
soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
player Silvio Diliberto. He made 5-of-7 field goal attempts between 40 and 49 yards and tied for the league lead for most field goals made (9). He returned to the Chargers and was released before the start of the season on August 27.


Los Angeles Xtreme

In 2000, he was selected by the
Los Angeles Xtreme The Los Angeles Xtreme was a professional American football team based in Los Angeles, California. The team was a member of the original version of the XFL (2001), XFL, begun by Vince McMahon of World Wrestling Entertainment and by NBC, a major ...
with the 304th pick in the 2000 XFL Draft, reuniting with head coach Al Luginbill, who coached him with the Admirals. Although he missed 3 of his first 5 field goal attempts, he went on to make 13 of his next 14. Cortez, along with
quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
Tommy Maddox Thomas Alfred Maddox (born September 2, 1971) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL), most notably with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He also played one seaso ...
, contributed to the Xtreme having a 7–3 record and winning the XFL Championship. Cortez also led the league in scoring with 20 field goals and earned
Most Valuable Player In team sports, a most valuable player (MVP) award is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particular competition, or ...
honors in the title game, after kicking four field goals.


San Francisco 49ers (1st stint)

In 2001, Cortez's success in the XFL earned him a starting spot with the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
, who signed him on April 26. He began the season by making 11 straight field goal attempts. He missed seven of his last 14 field goal attempts, including five that were blocked. He finished with 18-of-25 field goals (72%) and 47-of-47 extra points (100%). In 2002, he had a streak of 13 field goals made at the start of the season. His problems began in the eighth game against the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
, missing a 27-yard field goal at the end of regulation, although the 49ers were able to win 23–20 in overtime, with Cortez redeeming himself with a 23-yard game-winning field goal. However, he would end up missing four field goal attempts in his last three games and was 50 percent (three of six) from 40 yards or more. In the tenth game against the
San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...
, he missed a 41-yard field goal attempt in overtime, costing the 49ers a 17–20 loss. On November 26, he was cut after the game. He converted 18-of-24 field goal attempts (75%) in 10 games and was perfect on 25 extra-point attempts.


Washington Redskins

On December 2, 2002, he was signed by the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
to replace kicker James Tuthill. He remained the rest of the season with the team, making 5-of-8 field goals (62.5%) and 9-of-9 extra points (100%).


Kansas City Chiefs

In 2003, he was signed by the
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...
. He was cut on August 25.


Minnesota Vikings

On October 17, 2003, he was signed by the
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
. On October 28, 2003, he was cut by the Vikings. In 2003, he was re-signed by the Vikings and kicked in the last two games of the season. On November 10, 2004, he was re-signed by the Vikings. He appeared in a total of 10 games in 2 seasons with the Vikings and only handled kickoffs.


Dallas Cowboys

On August 7, 2005, he was signed by the Dallas Cowboys to compete with
Billy Cundiff William Ambrose Cundiff (born March 30, 1980) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Drake University, and was signed by ...
for the starting job. He would end up making the team. On October 15, Cortez contributed to a 16–13 victory against the New York Giants by hitting a 45-yard field goal in overtime. He is mostly remembered by Cowboys fans for what happened in the third game against the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
, when the struggling
long snapper In gridiron football, the long snapper (or deep snapper) is a Center (gridiron football), center on American football positions#Special teams, special teams whose duty is to Snap (gridiron football), snap the football over a longer distance, ty ...
Jon Condo made an errant snap on an extra point attempt, which affected Cortez's timing and hooked the ball to the left side of the goal posts. While Cortez started mouthing off towards Condo, future hall of famer
Larry Allen Larry Christopher Allen Jr. (November 27, 1971 – June 2, 2024) was an American professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons, primarily with the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football ...
shoved his face mask and shifted his helmet towards the side. The Cowboys were still able to win 34–31. On October 23, he missed a 29-yard field goal in a 13–10 loss against the Seattle Seahawks. On October 24, he was released and replaced with rookie Shaun Suisham. Cortez made 12-of-16 field goals and was 3-of-6 on attempts longer than 40 yards.


Philadelphia Eagles

On October 25, 2005, he was claimed off waivers by the Philadelphia Eagles to handle kickoffs while David Akers recovered from an injury. He was released on November 22.


San Francisco 49ers (2nd stint)

On November 25, 2005, he signed with the San Francisco 49ers, to replace an injured Joe Nedney (groin). He was cut on December 6.


Indianapolis Colts

On December 21, 2005, he was signed by the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
to handle the kickoffs for the rest of the season and allow
Mike Vanderjagt Michael John Vanderjagt ( ; born March 24, 1970) is a Canadian former professional football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, primarily with the Indianapolis Colts. He served as the Colts' placekicker ...
to focus on only kicking field goals. On March 14, 2006, he was re-signed by the Colts. He was released on April 3.


Career statistics


Regular season

''*'' XFL rules prohibited extra-point kicks.


Personal life

After retiring from the NFL, Cortez joined the
Oregon State Police The Oregon State Police (OSP) is a Police, law enforcement agency of the U.S. state of Oregon. The OSP enforces all of Oregon's criminal laws and assists local law enforcement agencies. Casey Codding has served as Superintendent (police), Superi ...
as a Trooper. Graduating from the Oregon State Police Academy in December 2007, he began patrol in May 2008, receiving his trooper stripes in January 2009. Cortez was fired in 2013 after being sentenced to seven days in jail for official misconduct on the job. Cortez was accused of fondling a woman during a DUI stop. He also received one year of probation.


References


External links

*
For Cortez, Misses Don't Compare With Past Ordeals
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cortez, Jose 1975 births American football placekickers American sportspeople of Salvadoran descent Amsterdam Admirals players Dallas Cowboys players Detroit Fury players Indianapolis Colts players Living people Los Angeles Valley Monarchs football players Los Angeles Xtreme players Minnesota Vikings players New York Giants players Oregon police officers Oregon State Beavers football players Oregon State University alumni People from San Vicente, El Salvador Philadelphia Eagles players Salvadoran emigrants to the United States Salvadoran players of American football San Francisco 49ers players Washington Redskins players Van Nuys High School alumni Players of American football from Los Angeles Hispanic and Latino American players of American football