NFL Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

The National Football League and its teams will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a series of special events.

All NFL teams will enhance the celebration with local efforts throughout the month including designated home games in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month and local community outreach.

The celebration begins with all 16 week 3 home teams - Arizona, Baltimore, Carolina, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Indianapolis, Miami, Minnesota, New Orleans, Oakland, San Diego, Seattle, Tennessee and Washington - hosting Hispanic Heritage Month games at their stadiums.

In-stadium elements include on-field Fútbol Americano stencils as well as wall banners and goal post wraps.

In Baltimore, U.S. Army Lieutenant General Rhett Hernandez will perform the coin toss. Hernandez is the Commanding General, U.S. Army Cyber Command/Second Army at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. And Javier Colón, winner of the 2011 season of NBC's The Voice, will perform the national anthem. The Ravens will also recognize the Carneros de Guadalajara, the Tochito flag football championship team from Mexico, during pregame. The team will take part in a tournament with three Baltimore-area flag football teams on Sept. 22 at Anne Arundel Community College.

For the 2012 celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the NFL and Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) have partnered for the second annual NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Awards. The awards recognize the contributions of Hispanic leaders in each NFL market. Each award recipient will be recognized in-stadium at a Hispanic Heritage game in their local market. Each award recipient will select an organization of their choice that serves the local Hispanic community to receive a $3,000 donation.

A national spotlight will shine on the NFL's celebration during Thursday Night Football, Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football broadcasts which will highlight in-stadium elements as well as community events.

The New York Giants take on the Carolina Panthers on Thursday, Sept. 20 Kickoff is at 8 p.m. on the NFL Network. Roberto Abramowitz will call the action in Spanish on NFL Network via SAP (Secondary Audio Program).

The New England Patriots face the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night, Sept. 23 Kickoff is at 8 p.m. on NBC with Telemundo's sportscasters Rene Giraldo and Edgar Lopez providing coverage in Spanish via SAP.

Univision Radio, the official Spanish-language radio partner of the NFL, will also broadcast the game. Rafael Hernandez Brito "El Alcalde" will provide play by play and Raul Striker Jr. will provide color commentary as the Patriots face the Ravens.

The Green Bay Packers take on the Seattle Seahawks on Monday, Sept. 24 at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN Deportes. The broadcast team for ESPN Deportes, the official Spanish-language television home for all Monday Night Football games, will feature Spanish-language Emmy-nominated play-by-play voice ÁlvaroMartín, analyst and former NFL kicker Raúl Allegre, and sideline reporter John Sutcliffe.

On Saturday, Sept. 29, Telemundo will air a NFL Hispanic Heritage Month special, Fútbol Americano Celebrando la Herencia Hispana, at 2 p.m./1 p.m. Central in select markets highlighting the NFL's Hispanic players.