ORLANDO, Fla. – This year, Hispanic Heritage month coincided with the start of the National Football League’s season.
The regular season kicked off Sept. 9 and six days later, we began honoring Hispanic Heritage Month.
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A little-known fact about the NFL’s Hispanic history is that the first Hispanic player took the field nearly a century ago.
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Ignacio Saturnino “Lou” Molinet played for the Frankford Yellow Jackets during the 1927 season, according to Pro Football Hall of fame.
Born in Chaparra, Cuba, Molinet is the first Cuban and Latin American recorded to have played in the NFL.
His parents traveled to Cuba from Spain.
According to his contract, which was donated to the hall of fame by his family, Molinet was paid $50 per game and played a total of nine games for the Yellow Jackets that season.
Prior to joining the NFL, Molinet earned four varsity letters playing basketball and football while attending Cornell University, according to the hall of fame.