Tony Zendejas: Difference between revisions

| name = Tony Zendejas

| image = Tony Zendejas 1985 (crop).jpg

| alt =

| caption = Zendejas playing for the Oilers in 1985

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1960|5|15}}

| birth_place = Curimeo, [[MexicoMichoacán]], Mexico

| death_date =

| death_place =

| number = 11, 7, 10, 2

| position = [[Placekicker]]

| height_ft = 5

| height_in = 8

| weight_lbs = 165

| high_school = [[Chino High School|Chino (CA)]]

| college = [[Nevada Wolf Pack football|Nevada]]

| suppdraftyear = [[1984 NFL Supplemental Draft of USFL and CFL Players|1984]]

| suppdraftround = 1

| pastteams =

|statvalue1 statlabel2 =186 /Field goal 252%

|statvalue4 statlabel5 =316 /PAT 327%

|statlabel5 statvalue5 =PAT %96.6

|statvalue5 pfr =96.6 Z/zendeton01

'''TonyAntonio Guerrero Zendejas''' (born May 15, 1960) is a Mexican-American former [[Mexican people|Mexican]]professional [[American football|football]] [[placekicker]]. He was signed as an [[undrafted free agent]] by the [[Los Angeles Express (USFL)|Los Angeles Express]] of the [[United States Football League]] (USFL). After the USFL folded, he was selected in the first round of the [[1984 NFL Supplemental Draft of USFL and CFL Players|1984 NFL Supplemental draft]] by the [[Washington Redskins]].

==Early yearslife==

Zendejas was born in Curimeo, [[Michoacán]], [[Mexico]]. His parents moved the family to [[Chino, California]]. As a 12-year-old, he led the youth soccer league with 100 goals scored in one season.

In 1979, he enrolled at [[Santa Ana College|Santa Ana Junior College]]. At the time his main sport was [[soccer]], until breaking his leg during a [[soccer]] tournament just before having a scheduled tryout with the [[Los Angeles Aztecs]] of the [[North American Soccer League (1968–1984)|North American Soccer League]].

In 1980, he transferred to [[Mt. San Antonio College]]. Although he couldn'tcould not play football while recovering from his injury, [[University of Nevada at Reno|University of Nevada]] assistant coach John Smith recruited him based on what thehe did in high school.

In 1981, he transferred to Division I-AA [[University of Nevada at Reno|University of Nevada]], where he played under head coach [[Chris Ault]]. As a sophomore, he set the school records for field goals made in a single-season (21) and longest field goal (55 yards).

As a junior, he set a new conference and school records for field goals attempted (33) and field goals made (26).

As a senior, he converted 23 field goals and broke his school record for longest field goal (58 yards). He also made a 32-yard field goal in blizzard conditions to help win an overtime playoff game against the [[University of North Texas]].

Zendejas played 3three seasons at Nevada, in 33 games he registered 70 field goals, 90 extra points and 300 points, while leading the nation in field goals made every year. HeMost setof his kicking records which were eventually broken by younger brother [[Marty Zendejas]].<ref>{{cite web| url=https://nevadawolfpack.com/story.aspx?filename=Tony_Zendejas_1981_83_Football_&file_date=5/25/2007 | title=Hall of Fame bio | accessdate=March 14, 2019}}</ref>

Initially, he played in the [[United States Football League]] for the [[Los Angeles Express (USFL)|Los Angeles Express]]. He joined the [[National Football League]] when he was chosen by the [[Washington Redskins]] in the first round of the [[1984 NFL Supplemental Draft of USFL and CFL Players]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.profootballhof.com/history/release.aspx?release_id=1456 |title=1984 Supplemental Draft |website=ProFootballHOF.com |date=June 5, 1984}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=1984 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1984/draft.htm |access-date=2023-10-10 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>

During his eleven seasons in the NFL, Zendejas made 186 field goals in 252 attempts; he also scored 316 extra points for 874 points. He held the record for consecutive field goals made from 50 or more yards with 11 such kicks<ref>{{cite web |last=Mayer |first=Larry |url=http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Gould-among-three-Bears-played-on-injured-reserve/12d03969-41b4-4d61-8eda-d89419979835 |title=Gould among three Bears played on injured reserve |publisher=[[Chicago Bears]] |date=December 11, 2012 |accessdate=December 11, 2012 |archiveurl=https://wwwweb.webcitationarchive.org/6OONL6d5Rweb/20121212123733/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Gould-among-three-Bears-played-on-injured-reserve/12d03969-41b4-4d61-8eda-d89419979835 |archivedate=MarchDecember 2712, 20142012 |deadurlurl-status=nolive}}</ref> until {{nfly|2013}} when the record was eclipsed by [[Blair Walsh]] of the [[Minnesota Vikings]] and [[Robbie Gould]] of the [[Chicago Bears]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Breech |first=John |title=Bears kicker Robbie Gould: Loss to Viking falls on me |url=http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/24315114/bears-kicker-robbie-gould-loss-to-viking-falls-on-me |accessdate=March 27, 2014 |newspaper=[[CBS Sports]] |date=December 2, 2013 |archiveurl=https://wwwweb.webcitationarchive.org/6OONB1s6bweb/20131202201422/http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/24315114/bears-kicker-robbie-gould-loss-to-viking-falls-on-me |archivedate=MarchDecember 272, 20142013 |deadurlurl-status=nolive}}</ref>

===CareerNFL career statistics===

{| class= "wikitable" float="left" border="1" style="text-align:center; width:45%;"

! rowspan=2|SeasonYear !! rowspan=2|Team !! rowspan=2|GamesGP !! colspan=5|Overall FGs !! colspan=4|PATs !! colspan=5|Kickoffs !! rowspan=2|PointsTotal points

! GP !! Blk !! Lng !! FG AttFGA !! FGM !! Pct !! XP AttXPA !! XPM !! Pct !! Blk !! KO !! Avg !! TB !! Ret !! Avg

| 14 || 0 || 52 || 27 || 21 || 77.8 || 31 || 29 || 93.5 || 0 || --— || --— || --— || --— || --— || 92

| 15 || 0 || 51 || 27 || 22 || 81.5 || 29 || 28 || 96.6 || 0 || --— || --— || --— || --— || --— || 94

| 13 || 0 || 52 || 26 || 20 || 76.9 || 33 || 32 || 97.0 || 0 || --— || --— || --— || --— || --— || 92

| 16 || 0 || 52 || 34 || 22 || 64.7 || {{yes|'''50}}''' || {{yes|'''48}}''' || 96.0 || 0 || --— || --— || --— || --— || --— || 114

| 16 || 0 || 52 || {{yes|'''37}}''' || {{yes|'''25}}''' || 67.6 || 40 || 40 || {{yes|100t}}'''100.0''' || 0 || --— || --— || --— || --— || --— || {{yes|'''115}}'''

| 7 || 0 || 45 || 12 || 7 || 58.3 || 21 || 20 || 95.2 || 0 || --— || --— || --— || --— || --— || 41

! [[1991 NFL season|1991]] !! [[1991 Los Angeles Rams season|LARRAMS]]

| 16 || 0 || 50 || 17 || 17 || {{yes|'''100}}.0''' || 26 || 25 || 86.2 || 0 || 58 || --59.6 || --'''13''' || --— || --— || 76

! [[1992 NFL season|1992]] !! [[1992 Los Angeles Rams season|LARRAMS]]

| 16 || 1 || 49 || 20 || 15 || 75.0 || 38 || 38 || {{yes|100t}}'''100.0''' || '''1''' || {{yes|'''69}}''' || 58.6 || {{yes|11}} || 55 || {{yes|20.5}} || 83

! [[1993 NFL season|1993]] !! [[1993 Los Angeles Rams season|LARRAMS]]

| 16 || '''2''' || {{yes|'''54}}''' || 23 || 16 || 69.6 || 25 || 23 || 92.0 || 0 || 57 || 60.1 || 10 || 47 || 20.9 || 71

! [[1994 NFL season|1994]] !! [[1994 Los Angeles Rams season|LARRAMS]]

| 16 || '''2''' || 47 || 23 || 18 || 78.3 || 28 || 28 || {{yes|100t}}'''100.0''' || 0 || 67 || 58.7 || 1 || '''63''' || 23.0 || 82

| 1 || 0 || 45 || 3 || 2 || 66.7 || 0 || 0 || --— || --— || 4 || {{yes|'''64.5}}''' || 0 || {{yes|4}} || '''24.0''' || 6

| 3 || 1 || 38 || 3 || 1 || 33.3 || 6 || 5 || 83.3 || '''1''' || 0— || --— || 0— || 0— || --— || 8

Zendejas was accused of drugging and raping a woman in January 2008, but he was acquitted of all charges in 2009. He owns and operates Zendajas Mexican Restaurant in [[San Dimas, California]] known to be very popular with Rams fans during the regular season games.<ref>{{cite news |url=httphttps://sportswww.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3968620 |title=Zendejas not guilty of raping woman |publisher=[[ESPN]] |date=2009-03-10 |accessdateaccess-date=2015-07-04}}</ref> He is the older brother of former [[University of Nevada at Reno|Nevada]] and Arena league kicker [[Marty Zendejas]], and the cousin of former NFL kickers [[Joaquin Zendejas]], [[Luis Zendejas]] and [[Max Zendejas]].