Deer Park, Texas, Zane Gonzalez’s Kick doinked off the right upright and ricocheted to the left, sealing the 23-20 win over the Buccaneers on January 12, 2025.
Holden Fortunato “Zane” Gonzalez is an American professional football placekicker for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL).
He played college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils, and the Cleveland Browns selected Zane in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Moreover, Gonzalez has been part of NFL teams like the Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers, and San Francisco 49ers.
Highlights
- Zane Gonzalez is an American professional football placekicker for the Washington Commanders of the NFL.
- Gonzalez’s father is Joseph Gonzalez. His parents got separated when Zane was in fifth grade.
- Zane’s grandfather, Lino Gonzalez, immigrated to the USA from Mexico at 15.
The Commander’s placekicker Gonzalez played a pivotal role in his first-ever playoff appearance in the victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He successfully kicked a game-winning 37-yard field goal that bounced off the upright but went in with three seconds remaining.
This clutch kick secured the Commander’s advancement to the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
On January 12, 2025, the Washington Commanders secured a dramatic 23-20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Wild Card round.
With the victory against the Buccaneers, Washington’s Commanders team gave the franchise its first playoff win since the 2005 season.
Zane Gonzalez And His Two Siblings Are Raised By His Father Joseph Gonzalez
The Commander’s placekicker, Zane Gonzalez, was born on May 7, 1995, in Deer Park, Texas. He is the middle child of his father, Joseph Gonzalez, and his mother (name not disclosed).
Zane’s parents separated when he was in fifth grade. After that, he and his two siblings, brother Zach, and sister Skylar, lived with their father.
Joseph worked at the Chevron Phillips Chemical Plant in Deer Park; however, after the separation, he had to choose between children and work.
At last, Zane Gonzalez’s father chose children. Later, he took a less lucrative job with a schedule allowing him to be with his kids.
Furthermore, ESPN reports that Zane’s mother is from Arkansas. However, there is no further information about her as of January 2025.
Moreover, talking with Cleveland Browns, Zane Gonzalez’s father, Joseph, states that he couldn’t provide his children with the best childhood he had planned.
However, Zane, for his part, remembers it more fondly, going so far as to say it was a blast. Gonzalez says,
It was a good atmosphere, always having fun, always doing something outside. It was a good time.
Zane Gonzalez
Despite the adversity, Zane Gonzalez has become an accomplished NFL football player.
Zane Gonzalez Is A Third-Generation Mexican-American; His Grandfather, Lino, Immigrated To The US At 15
Zane Gonzalez’s father, Joseph, was born in East Chicago, Indiana, to his father, Lino, and his mother, Denise Gonzalez.
Lino Gonzalez immigrated to the United States from Mexico at 15. Zane’s father, Joseph, described Lino as an old-school and hard-working person. He said,
My dad was very big on school. Being from Mexico, he came here when he was 15 and he made something of himself and he always prided himself coming up in getting an education, because without an education it’s going to be too hard on you.
Joseph Gonzalez
Joseph had an interest in sports from a young age. However, as his father, Lino, insisted on getting an education over sports, he quit it for some time.
Later, after college, Joseph played some semipro soccer teams and quit after family responsibility came up.
Zane Gonzalez once mentioned he loved playing soccer with his father. Speaking to ESPN, he said,
My dad was a big soccer player growing up. That was my whole life, too, and my brother’s. We grew up playing soccer all over the Houston area. It was my first love as a sport. I still play to this day, whenever I’m around a soccer bal
Zane Gonzalez
Although Zane Gonzalez’s father, Joseph, had to confine his interest to living up to his father’s ethics, Lino decided to give his kids more freedom than he had. He stated,
When I was growing up, I said when I have my own kids I will be there for them but I will let them make their own decisions
Joseph Gonzalez
Additional Information
- Zane Gonzalez signed a one-year, $1,125,000 contract with the Washington Commanders. He will enter the free agency after Washington’s playoff run.
- Zane Gonzalez is married to his long-term girlfriend, Lizzy Mireya Martinez. They welcomed their firstborn son, Luca Joseph Gonzalez.
- Zane Gonzalez’s father is fluent in Spanish, but Zane doesn’t speak the language.
