Before the Buffalo Bills’ 31-21 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Thursday Night Football, the team recognized two local high school football players, Alex Burgos Jr. and Nola Marrero, as part of the NFL’s Latino Youth Honors. The event took place during the Bills’ Week 3 home game, which also marked their Hispanic Heritage game.
Alex Burgos Jr., a senior at Canisius High School in Buffalo, plays defensive back for his school’s varsity tackle football team. Nola Marrero is a senior at Mount Mercy Academy and serves as captain of her girls flag football team.
“To be recognized by the Buffalo Bills with this honor is amazing,” said Marrero. “My immediate reaction when I found out was just pure shock, I genuinely almost cried. To be honored by a team that has been such a big part of my life and my family’s life for as long as I can remember is something I couldn’t even fathom. It felt like all of the hard work I’ve done had paid off in some way.”
Burgos Jr. added, “I’ve always wanted to represent Buffalo and my community. This is an opportunity to do that.”
The recognition was part of the Bills’ efforts to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by highlighting local students making an impact in their communities through football.
Marrero described what her Latino heritage means to her: “My Latino heritage means being a part of something bigger than myself. My whole life, I’ve grown up with a big Latino family, so nothing you do is just a representation of you, it’s also a representation of them. It means making them proud, but also being proud of my culture and where I come from. My heritage isn’t just something that pushes me to work hard in sports, it’s something that makes me who I am.”
Burgos Jr. shared how his background has influenced him: “My heritage means a lot to me. It’s not just something I talk about or the way I act, but something that is in me and shapes who I am every day. Most of my personality and the way I talk comes from being Latino. It’s helped me connect with teammates and kids at school,” he said.
After graduation, Burgos Jr. plans to attend the University at Buffalo for four years while Marrero aims to pursue special education and political science studies with hopes of becoming a disability rights and education lawyer.
