Mexico: Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional Gears Up for the 2023 Season
After a successful 2022 season, where the Fundidores de Monterrey claimed victory in Tazón México V, Mexico’s Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (LFA) is set to kick off the 2023 season with new excitement and changes.
This season marks a significant shift as the LFA stands alone, with its primary rival, Fútbol Americano de México (FAM), folding last year. Following FAM’s closure, three of its teams—the Caudillos de Chihuahua, Jefes de Ciudad Juárez, and the Reds CDMX—joined the LFA, bringing the total number of teams to 10.
With more teams comes more action, as the LFA has increased the number of games per team from six to 10, raising the total regular season games from 36 to 50. As in previous seasons, there will be no divisional format, and playoff spots will be determined by overall league records.
Despite the expanded regular season, the postseason will remain the same, with the top six teams qualifying. The top two teams will earn first-round byes and home-field advantage in the semifinals, while the third seed hosts the sixth seed, and the fourth seed faces the fifth seed in the wild card round.
Fundidores de Monterrey – 2022 record: 4-2 (2nd in the league) (Tazón México V champions)
Head Coach: Carlos Strevel
Home Stadium: Estadio Borregos
Key Players:
Offense:
- #8, QB, Shelton Eppler (All-Pro, 2022 MVP)
- #9, RB, Aaron McAlister (Rookie)
- #2, WR, Torin Justice (All-Pro)
- #4, WR, Tavarious Battiste (All-Pro, 2022 OPOY)
- #12, TE, Claudio Garva (Rookie)
- #69, OL, Saul Sauceda (All-Pro)
Defense:
- #3, DL, Uriel Martínez
- #14, DL, Darius Allen (Rookie)
- #97, DL, Martín Maldonado (Tazón México V MVP)
- #5, LB, Christian Hernandez
- #10, LB, Oscar Escalante
- #56, LB, Xavier Woodson
- #21, DB, Javier Garcia (All-Pro)
Special Teams:
- #19, K, Ricardo Aguilar
Gallos Negros de Querétaro – 2022 record: 1-5 (6th in the league) (Lost to Fundidores in Tazón México V)
Head Coach: Rubén Contreras
Home Stadium: Estadio Olímpico de Querétaro
Key Players:
Offense:
- #6, QB, Clark Hazlett
- #43, RB, Jose Hernandez
- #12, WR, Marco Morales
- #75, WR, Jorge Montoya
- #88, WR, Joseph Guadaluper
- #57, OL, Benjamin Dimas (Rookie)
Defense:
- #15, DL, Jacobo Sanchez (Rookie)
- #47, DL, Gustavo Tellez
- #99, DL, Luis Ochoa
- #3, LB, Emir Cortes
- #8, LB, Trajan Stephens-McQueen
- #14, LB, Julio Obregon
- #23, DB, Jermaine Brealy
Special Teams:
- #9, K, Alberto Guzman
Dinos de Saltillo – 2022 record: 5-1 (1st in the league) (Lost to Gallos Negros in semifinals)
Head Coach: Javier Adame
Home Stadium: Estadio Francisco I. Madero
Key Players:
Offense:
- #6, 17, Erick Niño
- #1, RB, Omar Colojum
- #4, WR, James Okike
- #19, WR, Duntaviun Gross
- #58, OL, René Brassea (All-Pro)
- #74, OL, Ramiro Pruneda (All-Pro)
Defense:
- #9, DL, Demetrius Harris (All-Pro)
- #93, DL, José Paniagua (Rookie)
- #94, DL, Jadarius Ceasar (All-Pro)
- #5, LB, Adrián Martínez (All-Pro)
- #31, LB, William Lloyd
- #21, DB, Reginald Kincade (Rookie)
- #24, DB, Sergio Schiaffino
Special Teams:
- #6, K, Rodolfo Ortiz
Raptors de Valle de México – 2022 record: 4-2 (4th in the league) (Lost to Fundidores in semifinals)
Head Coach: Guillermo Gutiérrez
Home Stadium: Estadio José Ortega Martínez
Key Players:
Offense:
- #13, QB, Bruno Marquez
- #3, RB, Dan Avila
- #1, WR, Diego Yáñez
- #14, WR, Luis Villegas
- #19, WR, Manuel Barrios
- #54, OL, Josue Torres (All-Pro)
Defense:
- #8, DL, Jose Casillas (Rookie)
- #15, DL, Anthony Baldovinos
- #69, DL, Diego Ruiz
- #50, LB, Edgar White (All-Pro)
- #53, LB, Jonathan Garcia
- #25, DB, Saul Valencia (All-Pro)
- #37, DB, Manuel Hernandez
Special Teams:
- #9, K, Alfredo Gachuz (All-Pro)
Reyes de Jalisco – 2022 record: 3-3 (5th in the league) (Lost to Raptors in wild card)
Head Coach: Ernesto Alfaro
Home Stadium: Estadio Fortaleza Azul
Key Players:
Offense:
- #10, QB, Ezquiel Morales (Rookie)
- #38, RB, Jordon Shippey (All-Pro)
- #2, WR, Rodnell Cruell (All-Pro)
- #21, WR, Carlos Gomez
- #70, OL, Johan Vazquez (Rookie)
- #79, OL, Alberto Gracia
Defense:
- #55, DL, Emmit Gooden (Rookie)
- #95, DL, Eirving Rivero (Rookie)
- #99, DL, Luis Ochoa
- #18, LB, Miguel Aguilar (Rookie)
- #56, LB, Anthony Patrick (All-Pro)
- #3, DB, DeMario Donnell (All-Pro)
- #22, DB, DeAndre Elliot
Special Teams:
- #7, K, Enrique Yenny (All-Pro)
Mexicas CDMX – 2022 record: 4-2 (3rd in the league) (Lost to Gallos Negros in wild card)
Head Coach: Héctor Toxqui
Home Stadium: Estadio Jesús Martínez “Palillo”
Key Players:
Offense:
- #5, QB, Ricardo Quintana
- #3, RB, Noah White (Rookie)
- #17, WR, Ditter Smith
- #84, WR, Guillermo Villalobos
- #65, OL, Eduardo Espinosa
- #77, OL, Daniel Concepcion (All-Pro)
Defense:
- #12, DL, Cesar Perez
- #44, DL, Rashad Dillard
- #55, DL, Luis Ceniceros (All-Pro, 2022 DROY)
- #0, LB, Jose Ortiz
- #26, LB, Luis Zarate
- #36, LB, Aaron Cook (Rookie)
- #20, DB, Timothy Trohatos (Rookie)
Special Teams:
- #9, K, Javier Ochoa
Galgos de Tijuana – 2022 record: 0-6 (7th in the league) (Missed playoffs)
Head Coach: Héctor del Águila
Home Stadium: Estadio Caliente
Key Players:
Offense:
- #5, QB, Trevone Boykin
- #34, RB, Antonio Guerrero (Rookie)
- #1, WR, Terrance Williams
- #6, WR, Cody Smith
- #52, OL, Saul Alfaro
- #71, OL, Juan Candela (Rookie)
Defense:
- #10, DL, Maximiliano Soto
- #93, DL, Jamal Newman (Rookie)
- #99, DL, Steven Mason (Rookie)
- #18, LB, Garret LeBouef (Rookie)
- #49, LB, Fernando Rubio (Rookie)
- #8, DB, Enrique Altamirano (All-Pro)
- #23, DB, David Richardson (All-Pro)
Special Teams:
- #19, K, Jose Vargas (Rookie)
Caudillos de Chihuahua – 2022 record: 5-3 (4th in FAM) (Lost to Parrilleros in FAM semifinals)
Head Coach: Federico Landeros Rodríguez
Home Stadium: Estadio Olímpico Universitario
Key Players:
Offense:
- #6, QB, Jeremy Johnson (Rookie)
- #2, RB, Justin Lewis
- #10, WR, Manuel Martínez
- #13, WR, Juwan Manigo (Rookie)
- #59, OL, Demetrich Anderston
- #79, OL, Raymundo Reyes
Defense:
- #1, DL, Máximo González
- #93, DL, Octavio González
- #99, DL, Malik Diggs (Rookie)
- #5, LB, Leondre Crosby (Rookie)
- #11, LB, Daniel Carrete
- #0, DB, Taurin Adams
- #8, DB, Thomas Adams
Special Teams:
- #16, K, Héctor López
Jefes de Ciudad Juárez – 2022 record: 3-5 (7th in FAM) (Missed FAM playoffs)
Head Coach: Lorenzo Gathers
Home Stadium: Estadio 20 de Noviembre
Key Players:
Roster not yet released
Reds CDMX – 2022 record: 6-2 (2nd in FAM) (Won Balón de Plata II)
Head Coach: Raúl Rivera
Home Stadium: FES ITESM CCM
Key Players:
Offense: #12, QB, Dezmon Huntley (rookie), #25, RB, Oscar Villagran, #1, WR, Quinten Pounds (rookie), #83, WR, Luis Martinez, #61, OL, Mario Rodriguez, #66, OL, Mauricio Romero
Defense: #17, DL, Juan Francisco Espinosa (all-pro), #33, DL, Armando Schiavon (rookie), #91, DL, Derrick Brumfield (rookie), #5, LB, Diego Flores, #10, LB, Isiah Robinson, #4, DB, JaMarcus Howard (rookie), #21, DB, Khari Henley (rookie)
Special Teams: #9, K, Arturo Galvan
