The National Football League is by far the most popular sports league in the United States of America today. But its popularity is growing all over the world, partially because there have been so many talented players in the league, particularly from various Latin American communities.

Notable Hispanic football players have shown off their talents in the NFL such as Steve Van Buren, Jeff Garcia, Tom Fears and Tom Flores. Cuban tight end Tony Gonzales is widely considered the greatest tight end in NFL history.

Former Super Bowl champion (with the Chicago Bears) and current head coach of the Carolina Panthers Ron Rivera was named Coach of the Year last season. When Rivera won the Super Bowl with the Bears in 1985, he became the first Puerto Rican to play on a Super Bowl winning team.

The NFL has also played multiple regular season and preseason games outside the United States, including Mexico. Football will never supersede soccer south of Texas, but the popularity and skill level is rising.

Spanish football players have also shown to make good kickers in the NFL. One of the most notable of course being Martin Gramatica. The Venezuelan kicker led the league in field goals in 2002 and guided the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl victory that year. His brother, Bill, also played in the NFL.

Let's take a look at a few very notable Hispanic football players in the NFL today.