By ARMANDO GARZA
Special to the NEWS
PHARR – Ever since he can remember, Leo Araguz has always “wanted to prove people wrong.”
The Harlingen native did that many times over as a star kicker for the Cardinals, which he parlayed into a scholarship to Stephen F. Austin State University and eventually, the National Football League.
Araguz will be part of this year’s class of seven inductees into the Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame at a ceremony at the Pharr Events Center on Saturday evening.
The class of 2014 also includes former San Benito Greyhound footballer Vernon Hallbeck (posthumously), Nancy K. Clark, Jesse S. Gomez (posthumously), Herbie Hinojosa, Gerald Lambert and Johnny Olvera.
“The fact that I was even nominated and then selected is definitely a humbling experience,” said Araguz, 44, who now resides in San Benito with his family. “It’s just a humbling, joyous feeling.”
Araguz graduated from Harlingen in 1989 after a stellar schoolboy career for the Cardinals in not only football, but on the soccer pitch, where surprising to some, Araguz found his most joy.
“People think I was a football fanatic, but soccer was definitely my first love,” said Araguz, who’s still kicking professionally for the RGV Sol indoor football team. “Soccer wasn’t as popular as football when I was growing up, but I could kick a ball and football sorta fell in my lap.
“It kinda worked out. I was taught to do it 110 percent and I did. And through those efforts in football I got a lot of opportunities like being selected to the RGV Sports Hall of Fame.”
That said, Araguz was a soccer-style kicker, or one who lines up to either side of the ball before converging on it to kick. Back in the 1980s, that wasn’t as conventional as it is today, and Araguz said his methods were often met with some skepticism.
“One of my best memories in high school was the fact that I was a soccer style kicker and most people were used to seeing straight-on kickers like (Tom) Dempsey,” Araguz said. “Even my coaches weren’t exposed to soccer style and I’ll never forget my coach telling me that soccer basically ruined kicking in football. It stayed in my mind and pushed me with that fire to prove that I could do it. Things like that made me who I am. I had to overcome hardships, obstacles and people doubting to get to the NFL. I love to prove people wrong.”
The fire became in an inferno with the Lumberjacks, as Araguz led the Southland Conference and NCAA Division II with a punting average of 42.6 yards in 1992, his junior campaign. In all, Araguz lettered all four years at SFA and was a three time All-Southland Conference selection.
That success in Nacogdoches eventually led to his break in the NFL. Notably, Araguz had a successful stint with the Oakland Raiders from 1996-99. He also punted for the Detroit Lions (2001), the Minnesota Vikings (2003) and the Seattle Seahawks (2005) and Baltimore Ravens (2006). According to records, Araguz holds the record for most punts in an NFL game, with 16 for 709 yards for the Raiders in 1998. For his NFL career, he finished with 322 punts for 13,731 yards (a 42.6-yard average) in 60 games.
Not bad for a kicker from the little ol’ Rio Grande Valley.
“Everybody as a whole said we were too far south for anyone to take notice,” Araguz said. “As soon as I left (to college), I always felt that I went out and represented my family, my community and the Valley.”
Meanwhile, Araguz, who owns a construction company, has kicked for several years for local arena football teams and is still good at it. And although he’s a Cardinal alum, he’s proud to call San Benito home with his wife Christina and their family.
“I live in San Benito and married a San Benito gal so I’m married into San Benito,” Araguz said. “Whether it’s Harlingen or San Benito, I’m gonna support our communities and our kids.”
Tickets for Saturday’s event will be available at the door of the Pharr Events Center. For more information on the 27th annual banquet, contact the RGVSHOF at (956) 227-6563 or at (956) 778-2688.
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