The Super Bowl is an international event, media organizations spanning the globe have made their way to the Bay Area this week to take part in the madness. The most represented country, outside of the US of course, has been Mexico. From organizations representing the large Hispanic community in California to ones that made their way up from Mexico itself, hundreds of Spanish-speaking reporters have joined the media masses every day.
Of course, like the rest of us, they want to talk to Peyton Manning, Cam Newton and all the big-time stars but, when it comes to the Broncos, they also have a heightened interest in a couple of offensive linemen.
Why? Well, Denver Broncos guards Louis Vasquez and Max Garcia are both fluent Spanish-speakers.
Vasquez is of Mexican-American descent, Garcia of Puerto Rican and Mexican. Every day this week, both of them have been swarmed by media folk conducting interviews in what, to most of the NFL, is a foreign language. They are, for all intents and purposes, the voice of the entire Hispanic community at Super Bowl 50, expanding Broncos Country and welcoming in País de los Broncos.
“For me, it’s an honor,” Vasquez told BSN Denver. “For Max and me, we get to show the whole entire Hispanic community that not only can you make it in pro sports but you can do whatever you want to do. We have a couple Hispanic politicians right now that are on TV quite often, that’s real blown up just like the Super Bowl so I just think that it goes to show the whole Hispanic community that you can do whatever you want to do.”
Garcia, also honored, embraces the fact that he’s playing for a greater community.
“It’s pretty special, it’s something that I don’t take lightly,” he explained. “I know that there’s a whole other community out there that supports me because I do have latin roots, I know it means a lot to my parents that I’m embracing this position, embracing this status. I’m just taking this and running with it.”
Offensive linemen don’t always get much shine, it’s a thankless position. This Broncos line, in particular, has taken much more batter that praise over the course of the season, but these two have embraced a role that raises them much higher than most of the other players on the team. When Louis Vasquez and Max Garcia take the field on Sunday they’ll be wearing orange and blue but the colors they represent go much deeper than that. The Red, White and Green, a different Red, White and Blue and the colors of the entire Spanish-speaking community across the globe.
