Mark Sanchez is the present and the future of the New York Jets. The Mexican-American quarterback has taken the team to the NFL Finals.
After starting the season with three wins, followed by a losing streak with 20 interceptions, Sanchez recovered to lead the Jets to a winning 10 - 7 season and a spot in the NFL Finals. Led by the newly confident rookie, the Jets handed the Indianapolis Colts their first loss of the season, defeated the Bengals and made it to the Finals by beating the San Diego Chargers.Unfortunately their miracle run ended with a loss against Peyton Manning's revitalized Colts.
The former USC star was selected 5th overall by the team in the 2009 NFL Draft. To close the deal, the Jets made the biggest draft-day trade in their history and offered the rookie a five-year contract worth $50 million, with $28 million in guarantees; their largest contract ever.It didn’t take long for Sanchez to start earning his pay, becoming the first rookie quarterback to start the season in decades. Even the legendary Joe Namath didn’t make his first rookie start until the Jets' third game in the 1965 season. Sanchez did not disappoint. Following on the footsteps of last season’s Jets All-American hero Bret Favre, Sanchez has created his own path. He made football history by defeating Houston, the Titans and Tom Brady’s New England Patriots to become the first rookie in NFL history to star and win his first three starts.
Off the field, Sanchez was part of a promotion with Sprint where HOMBRE had the opportunity to speak with him about his heritage and future plans. Born and raised in Southern California, the star quarterback is a third-generation Mexican-American. His great-grandfather, Nicholas Sanchez, was born in Zacatecas, Mexico and later moved to south Texas, eventually settling in California.
Sanchez credits his upbringing for the discipline and poise he now exhibits on the field. He remembered how during his childhood and teenage years, his father would have him combine athletic and mental training. He would have to dribble a basketball without looking at it while reciting multiplication tables; and practice baseball swings in a batting cage while answering questions about the periodic table. His father hoped these combined drills would develop quick thinking and self-confidence and turn him and his brothers into leaders.
Nick Sanchez also instilled in his son great pride in his heritage. While at USC he was often seen as a Mexican-American role model. USC fans would wear "¡Viva Sanchez!" T-shirts and play ‘El Matador’ during his games. Sanchez once even wore a custom-made mouthpiece that featured the colors of the Mexican flag in honor of his heritage. The gesture was controversial at the time to which he declared, “It’s not a Mexican power thing or anything like that. It’s just a little bit of pride in our heritage. Hopefully, it inspires somebody and it’s all for the best.” Sanchez has a record of involvement in the Hispanic community.
During his USC days he would often speak to high school kids from Latino neighborhoods and participated in programs that provided school supplies to first-graders. He also joined L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in distributing holiday gifts to needy families. By the end of his USC career, he was a proud symbol for Latino youth in America. "Some people wanted me to be the Latino quarterback. Some people wanted me to be the USC quarterback who happens to be Latino. I decided to just be me and do my best."
Sanchez remains humble and is ready to take on the challenges the rest of the season bring. He says of his winning record at press time, "It's a special honor, but I'm not winning these games alone. WE are winning these games." The rookie quarterback was marked for greatness early on. Coming out of high school in 2005 he was considered the top quarterback in the nation; during senior year at USC he led the Trojans to a 12–1 season, capturing the 2009 Rose Bowl Offensive Most Valuable Player award.
Now in his first professional season Mark Sanchez is living up to his potential. As he says, "This comes with a lot of responsibility. As happy as I am, I know that this is just the beginning and I'm just excited, really excited, to get to play with such great players. This is something I've always wanted to do and dreams are coming true now. It's a special opportunity."
Text: Jorge Nunez
Mark Sanchez photographed exclusively for HOMBRE by Cal Garay
Imaging by Thurston A. Rind
