Mexican kicker goes from Borregos to Toronto Argonauts

At the age of 8, he wore a football jersey for the first time, and he would never be far from a football again from that moment on.

Now a kicker for Canadian team the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and recognized as the best player in the Steelers kicker clinic, Alfredo Gachúz, a Tec graduate from the State of Mexico campus, shared his experience as a professional athlete.

“If you want to achieve your goal, you have to do it with love. It’s the only way to get there. You have to be willing to make sacrifices and put aside your personal and family life.

“My ultimate goal is to make it to the NFL; I know I have the skills to do that. I’ve known I can make it ever since the time I played for the Tec Borregos team. I will play football as long as my body allows me to,” he said.

With an effectiveness of 85% in the last three years and a personal record of 62 yards for his longest kick, Alfredo wants to consolidate his sports career in the CFL, and later aim for an opportunity in the National Football League (NFL).

Steelers Clinic

The Tec Civil Engineering graduate, who also has a master’s in Education from the State of Mexico campus, was invited to the Steelers’ team clinic while he was playing for the Raptors as part of the Mexican Professional American Football League (LFA for its initials in Spanish).

Organized by the Steelers, NFL Mexico, and the LFA, the clinic gave invited players the chance to practice with former professional NFL players such as Mexican Raul Allegre Rodriguez and Canadian Shaun Suisham.

“The clinic allowed us to learn and polish details, as well as receive feedback and listen to the experiences of these great former players.

“One of the challenges was to make a 58-yard kick, which I managed to do. Raul, Shaun, and Mark, a Steelers scout, provided me with an overall evaluation and concluded that I was the best performer at the camp.

“At the end, they presented me with a Steelers award for being the clinic’s best player,” Alfredo said.

“If you want to achieve your goal, you have to do it with love.”

Toronto Argonauts

Now a kicker for the Canadian Toronto Argonauts team, Alfredo highlighted the long road to get there, which involved a lot of hard work.

“It all started to take shape when I was playing in the LFA. In 2018, I realized that I wasn’t that far behind the level of kickers in the United States. I worked harder, got better, and finished well in my major league to get the exposure I needed.

“The opportunity came with ‘Mexican Stars‘, which was the first draft between Mexico and Canada, as a partnership between the LFA and the CFL.”

Alfredo had decided by that time that he would first finish his master’s degree and the LFA season, and then aim for opportunities in Canada.

“Then I applied to the global draft and a few other clinics. The Argonauts already had me on their radar and that’s how I ended up being drafted by the Canadian team,” he said.

Gachúz also shared that right now one of his biggest challenges is to earn his place in the CFL with the Argonauts.

“It’s a very long season and I need to be ready at all times, as I’m not a starting kicker at the moment. However, anything can happen, and I’m committed to playing my part in the team.

“I’m here to earn my place and give my best for the trust they put in me, through good performances in training, being proactive, and being ready for anything,” he said.

The Mexican player and Tec graduate concluded by saying that his path over the coming years is clear.

“I want to become a high-performance athlete in the CFL. My intention is to learn for two years here, then spend three more solidifying my career. As I enter my 30s, I will look for the opportunity to join a team in the NFL,” he concluded.

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