By PETE BANDA
Special to the NEWS
As the Greyhound football season approaches, dozens of seniors will be entering their final slate of organized 11-on-11 games.
Aside from the handful of select players who will earn themselves college scholarships, most incoming seniors will see their playing careers end when the final whistle blows. That is unless former Greyhound standout C.J. Carrizales can implement his vision for top regional athletes.
“After High School, I went off to college and never really thought about playing football at the next level because I didn’t think I could make it to the NFL, and I didn’t know much about arena football at all,” Carrizales said. “Then, my sister-in-law passed away in a crazy accident and I realized that life is short, and I can’t be just waiting around for things to happen. I decided I needed to take advantage of every opportunity I had and made a promise to myself that I would give everything I had towards my goal of playing pro football.”
Carrizales, a former All-Valley defensive back who graduated from San Benito High in 2010, has since carved out a significant role on the semi-pro and arena football circuit. The former Greyhound team captain attended an open tryout for the RGV Dorados of the International Arena Football League (IAFL) in 2019 and helped lead the team the championship game in Mexico City.
Carrizales wasted no time getting back on the field, joining the semi-pro Pharr Phantoms of the Texas Valley Sports (TVS) league just one month after the Dorados season ended. Joined by record setting San Benito running back Ernie Tamez, the Phantoms won back-to-back league championships before Covid shut down the league for almost two years.
Now a hot commodity, the 30-year-old was then recruited by the Austin Wild of the American Arena League (AAL) where he would go on to lead the league in interceptions while narrowly missing out on yet another championship. As one of the most experienced local athletes, Carrizales has gone from newcomer to respected veteran in just four years as he embarks on the next phase of his football career.
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