Rocio Robles
The 2022 NFL Draft will kick off Thursday night in Las Vegas, Nevada and will feature a Mexican player from the USC Trojans.
Latino blood is increasingly present in U.S. sports leagues, and the NFL is no exception, so it is no surprise that there is a Mexican among those eligible for the 2022 NFL Draft.
On Wednesday, the NFL presented a video on its social networks where it shows the story of a Mexican-born player.
He is Chris Steele of the University of Southern California Trojans. The player was born in the state of California, but he is the son of an African-American father and a Mexican mother. His mother’s family lived for a long time in the state of Michoacán, Mexico, and he is familiar with that place, as he also spent some time there.
Steele, who will be one of the players available in the NFL Draft in 2022, speaks about his relationship with his maternal grandmother in the video, and says he is aware of all the efforts his family has made: “My grandmother and I have a wonderful relationship, and having her in my life is a blessing. I can’t imagine how much my mother and grandmother had to give up. Whatever you attempt, you must put your entire heart and soul into it.”
Considering his last name and his physical appearance, he could be considered African-American, but he prefers the term “Afro-Latino” and said he is proud to be one. “I’m pleased to be Afro-Latino, and I like to tell people that I have the best of both worlds. I am proud to represent both cultures; it is very important to me. I tell them I’m African-American and Mexican when they ask what ethnicity I am.”
Chris Steele is a corner considered a four-star prospect according to 24/7 Sports.
Chris Steele’s numbers for the 2022 NFL Draft
He was a top 5 cornerback in the 2019 generation in high school, which led to several scholarship offers including USC. He was the best player in that class and went to the Florida Gators, surpassing Kaiir Elam, who is expected to be chosen ahead of the Afro-Latino in the 2022 NFL Draft.
However, he had no activity with the Florida team, and in the end ended up joining the Trojans, where he spent three seasons. His participation in the USC team was as an outside corner and he had a record of 94 tackles, 1-0 sacks, 15 passes defended and three interceptions.
He is estimated to be selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, but not in the early rounds, but between the sixth and seventh.
Pro Football Focus labels him as the #41 corner, while Dane Brugler of The Athletic believes he will be the #32 corner this 2022.
