Luis Fernando Zendejas (born October 22, 1961) is a Mexican former

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

placekicker in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL) for the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...

and

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...

. He also was a member of 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 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...

. He later played professionally in the

United States Football League The United States Football League (USFL) was a professional American football league that played for three seasons, 1983 through 1985. The league played a spring/summer schedule in each of its active seasons. The 1986 season was scheduled to be ...

(USFL), and

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

(CFL). He played college football at Arizona State University.

Early years

Zendejas, was born in Curimeo, Michoacan, Mexico as one of nine children to Joaquin, and Raquel Zendejas. His parents moved the family to Chino, California when he was eight years old. In moving from Michoacan, he would be joining his uncle, Genaro's family, which included his cousins, and future place kickers Tony Zendejas and Martin Zendejas. Genaro Zendejas had just migrated his family to Chino, California from Curimeo, Michoacan, Mexico. Soccer was the main sport in the Zendejas family. He attended

Don Antonio Lugo High School __NOTOC__ Don Antonio Lugo High School is one of the four high schools of the Chino Valley Unified School District located in Chino, California, United States. The mascot is the Conquistador. Don Lugo High School was founded in 1972, and during t ...

, where he was initially a

midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...

with the soccer team. He was called "Z" by his teammates. Football head coach Jack Coppes asked him to try out for the team and he ended up playing both sports. As a freshman, he converted 5 field goals and 19 extra point attempts. As a sophomore, he tied his cousin

Tony Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leagu ...

, for the second longest field goal (53 yards) in CIF history. As a senior, he became the school's first four-year varsity letterman, while helping to win its first California Interscholastic Federation football title. He received All-CIF honors at the end of the season.

College career

Zendejas accepted a football scholarship from Arizona State University. He became a starter at

place kicker Placekicker, or simply kicker (PK or K), is the player in gridiron football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals and extra points. In many cases, the placekicker also serves as the team's kickoff specialist or punter. Spe ...

as a freshman. As a junior in 1983, he made a school record 28 field goals for 112 points, receiving first-team All-Pac-10 and consensus first-team All-American honors. As a senior in 1984, he slumped early in the season, but recovered to earn second-team All-Pac-10 honors. He finished his college career making 81 out of 108 field goals (75%) and 137 out of 138 extra points (99.3%). He set the then-

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athletic ...

career scoring record of 368 points, and most of the school's kicking records. In 1995, he was inducted into the Arizona State University Sports Hall of Fame.

Professional career

Arizona Outlaws

Zendejas was selected in the

1985 USFL Territorial Draft The 1985 USFL Territorial Draft was the third Territorial Draft of the United States Football League (USFL). It took place on January 3, 1985, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York. Under the previous 2 territorial drafts, each team had 5 designat ...

by the

Arizona Outlaws The Arizona Outlaws were a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid-1980s. They were owned by Fresno banker and real estate magnate William Tatham Sr., who had briefly owned the Portland Thu ...

of the

. On January 23,

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...

, he was signed to a contract. He made 72% (24-33) of his field goals and 87% (36-41) of his extra points as a rookie. In

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 **Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal enter ...

, the team folded along with the rest of the league.

Minnesota Vikings

, he was signed by the

, who were looking for a replacement for the recently retired

Jan Stenerud Jan Stenerud (, ; born November 26, 1942) is a Norwegian- American former football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with Kansas City Chiefs. The first Norwe ...

. On August 21, he was released after losing the kicking competition against

Chuck Nelson Charles LaVerne Nelson (born February 23, 1960) is a former professional football player, a placekicker in the National Football League. Nelson played college football for the University of Washington, and earned All-American honors. He played ...

Dallas Cowboys (first stint)

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, ...

, he was signed by the

, who were looking for a replacement for

Rafael Septién José Rafael Septién Michel (born December 12, 1953) is a Mexican-American former placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Rams and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at the University of Louisiana at La ...

. On September 1, he was waived after losing the kicking competition to Roger Ruzek. After the players went on a strike on the third week of the season, those contests were canceled (reducing the 16-game season to 15) and the NFL decided that the games would be played with replacement players. Zendejas was re-signed to be a part of the Cowboys replacement team, that was given the mock name "Rhinestone Cowboys" by the media. He played in two games, where he made 3 out of 4 field goals and all 10 extra point attempts, including a team season-long 50-yarder against the

. On October 27, he was placed on the

injured reserve list The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...

with an ankle injury and released 3 weeks later. On July 22,

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Bicenten ...

, he was re-signed by the Cowboys who wanted protect themselves in case Ruzek's contract holdout extended into the regular season. Zendejas, who made a 47-yard field goal but missed two 49-yarders in his tenure, was released when Ruzek rejoined the team on September 13.

Philadelphia Eagles

On September 27,

, he was signed by the

after Dean Dorsey and Dale Dawson struggled in the first four games of the year. In the twelfth game against the New York Giants, he had a field goal blocked with 8:50 left in overtime, that was returned by teammate

Clyde Simmons Clyde Simmons Jr. (born August 4, 1964) is a former American football defensive end and current college defensive line coach. Playing career College Simmons played college football at Western Carolina University helping lead the Catamounts to th ...

for a 15-yard game winning

touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Amer ...

. He was a part of the playoff game against the Chicago Bears famously known as the " Fog Bowl", where he made all of the Eagles' points (4 field goals) in the 12–20 loss. In

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxon Valdez oil tanker runs ...

, he made four field goals against the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-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 of the league's National ...

. On October 30, he was released after he missed four of seven field-goal attempts, including a 41-yarder in the Eagles' 28–24 win against the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...

. Steve DeLine was signed to take his place.

Dallas Cowboys (second stint)

On November 7,

, he was signed by the

to replace a struggling Ruzek. On November 22, Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson alleged that Eagles head coach

Buddy Ryan James David "Buddy" Ryan (February 17, 1931 – June 28, 2016) was an American football coach in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL). During his 35-season coaching career, Ryan served as the head coach of the ...

had taken out a "

bounty Bounty or bounties commonly refers to: * Bounty (reward), an amount of money or other reward offered by an organization for a specific task done with a person or thing Bounty or bounties may also refer to: Geography * Bounty, Saskatchewan, a g ...

" on two Cowboys players—then-current Dallas (and former Philadelphia) placekicker Zendejas and quarterback

Troy Aikman Troy Kenneth Aikman (born November 21, 1966) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. After transferring from Oklahoma, he played college football at UCLA, ...

in a game dubbed " Bounty Bowl" played on

Thanksgiving Day Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden and ...

Texas Stadium Texas Stadium was an American football stadium located in Irving, Texas, a suburb west of Dallas. Opened on October 24, 1971, it was known for its distinctive hole in the roof, the result of abandoned plans to construct a retractable roof (Cowboy ...

. Zendejas was targeted by

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...

Jessie Small on the second-half kickoff, where Zendejas was penalized on the play for a low block. He later reported to the media that he taped a telephone conversation with Eagles

special teams In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...

coach

Al Roberts Al Roberts (born January 6, 1944) is an American football coach. He serves as the special teams, running backs, and outside linebackers coach for the O'Dea High School in Seattle, Washington. Playing career Roberts attended Merced High School ...

without telling Roberts that would prove the accusation. After a two-week investigation, the league office issued a statement that they found the Eagles innocent of all charges. Zendejas was released on August 26,

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of humanity on Earth, astrophysicist ...

, after losing a kicking competition against

Ken Willis Robert Kenneth Willis II (born October 6, 1966) is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and New York Giants. He played college football at the University of Ke ...

Arizona Rattlers

He also played for the

's Arizona Rattlers from 1992 to

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The Great Hanshin earthquake str ...

. He was a part of the ArenaBowl VIII championship team in

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nelson ...

. He is the only kicker in Rattlers history to drop-kick extra points for two points.

Birmingham Barracudas

Zendejas finished his career with the

Birmingham Barracudas The Birmingham Barracudas were a Canadian football team that played the 1995 season in the Canadian Football League. The Barracudas were part of a failed attempt to expand the CFL into the United States. Franchise history In the beginning Ins ...

of the

, where he kicked for 144 points in a single season in

Personal life

Luis' brothers, Max and Joaquin, were also kickers in the NFL. His cousin

was a kicker in the NFL and Marty in the AFL. Zendejas has worked as senior director of community relations for the Arizona Cardinals since 2001. His son Cristian is the kicker for the Arizona State University football team.

References

External links

Luis Zendejas football stats
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zendejas, Luis 1961 births Living people Sportspeople from Mexico City Mexican players of American football American football placekickers Arizona State Sun Devils football players All-American college football players Arizona Outlaws players Dallas Cowboys players Philadelphia Eagles players Arizona Rattlers players Birmingham Barracudas players National Football League replacement players Mexican expatriates in the United States Sportspeople from San Bernardino County, California Players of American football from California People from Chino, California Zendejas family