Octavio Noé González Chapa is a Mexican professional

gridiron football Gridiron football ( ),"Gridiron football"
''Encyclopædia Britannica'' ...

defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...

for the

Caudillos de Chihuahua Caudillos de Chihuahua are an American football team based in Chihuahua City, Mexico. The Caudillos compete in the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (LFA), the top American football league in Mexico. The team plays its home games at the Estad ...

of the

Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional The Professional American Football League ( or LFA), is a semi-professional American football league in Mexico, founded in 2016. Starting with four teams, the LFA has since expanded to eleven members as of 2022. The regular season runs in the sp ...

(LFA). He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

at UANL. González spent three seasons with the

Fundidores de Monterrey Fundidores de Monterrey (English: ''Monterrey Smelters''), officially Fundidores, were an American football team based in Monterrey, Mexico. The Fundidores competed in the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (LFA), the top American football leag ...

and was drafted by the

BC Lions The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Lions compete in the West Division (CFL), West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and play their home games at BC Place. The Lions playe ...

in the

2019 CFL–LFA Draft The 2019 CFL–LFA draft took place on January 14, 2019. Twenty-seven players were chosen from an invited pool of 51 Mexican players: 34 from the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (LFA) (a professional American football league) and 17 seniors ...

, though he was released in training camp due to injury. He played with the

Parrilleros de Monterrey The Parrilleros de Monterrey (English: ''Monterrey Grillers'') were an American football team based in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. The Parrilleros competed in Fútbol Americano de México (FAM) for a single season in 2022, losing in the champi ...

of the

Fútbol Americano de México Mexican American Football ('', FAM'') was a professional American football minor league in Mexico, founded in 2018. Due to sponsorship reasons, the league was also known as FAM-YOX for the 2022 season. Starting with five teams, the FAM expanded ...

league in 2022 before joining the Caudillos the following year. In 2023, González was named

Tazón México The Tazón México (English: Mexico Bowl) is the annual championship game of the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional, the highest level of professional American football in Mexico. As with the Super Bowl, Roman numerals are used to identify each ...

MVP in Tazón México VI after aiding the team to a

perfect season A perfect season is a sports season, including any requisite playoff portion, in which a team remains and finishes undefeated and untied. The feat is extremely rare at the professional level of any team sport, but has occurred more commonly at th ...

. González has represented the Mexico national team, winning a bronze medal at the

2015 IFAF World Championship The 2015 IFAF World Championship was the fifth instance of the IFAF World Championship, an international American football tournament. The United States hosted the tournament. Seven teams had confirmed their participation for the tournament in Ca ...

Early life

A native of

Monterrey Monterrey (, , abbreviated as MtY) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León. It is the ninth-largest city and the second largest metropolitan area, after Greater Mexico City. Located at the foothills of th ...

Nuevo León Nuevo León, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Nuevo León, is a Administrative divisions of Mexico, state in northeastern Mexico. The state borders the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, Zacatecas, and San Luis Potosí, San Luis ...

, González began playing

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

around the age of six. He was big for his age and thus played as a fullback for the Halcones Monterrey. González moved to

San Antonio San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, with his family when he was 12 and joined the middle school basketball team, though he later returned to Mexico.

College career

González attended the

Autonomous University of Nuevo León The Autonomous University of Nuevo León () is a public research university with seven campuses across the northern Mexican state of Nuevo León. Founded as University of Nuevo León on 25 September 1933, it is the third largest public university ...

(UANL) and played

for the Auténticos Tigres UANL as a star

defensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line (D ...

. He helped the team win back-to-back ONEFA championships in 2011 and 2012. González left the team in 2014 to join 4th & Inches Sports Performance, a training program in

Arlington, Texas Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Mid-Cities region of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area, and is a principal c ...

, which helped him improve his strength and technique. He returned to the Auténticos Tigres UANL for the 2014 season, his final year of eligibility, leading them to an appearance in the ONEFA championship game. González was later named to the ONEFA Liga Mayor Team of the Decade for the 2010s by ''Mundo del Ovoide''.

Professional career

In January 2015, González played in the

College Gridiron Showcase The College Gridiron Showcase (CGS) is an independently operated annual post-season college football event hosted each January in Fort Worth, Texas. The event consists of NFL draft prospects who have completed their eligibility in NCAA Division ...

, where he recorded one sack, two solo tackles, and multiple quarterback hurries in front of

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL) scouts. He attended an NFL Regional Combine in

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

the following month, followed by

Pro Day The NFL draft, officially known as the Annual Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the most common source of player recruitment in the National Football League. Each team is given a position in the drafting order in reve ...

at the

University of North Texas The University of North Texas (UNT) is a public university, public research university located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Its main campus is in Denton, Texas, Denton, with a satellite campus in Frisco, Texas, Frisco. It serves as the ...

. From there, González was invited to participate in "Dallas Day", a pre-draft workout with the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...

, with about 50 other prospects. He was not offered a contract.

Fundidores de Monterrey (2018–2019)

After three years out of football, González signed with the

of the

(LFA) ahead of the

2018 LFA season The 2018 LFA season was the third season of the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional. The season saw all previous teams return with no additional new ones. The Mexicas CDMX, Eagles changed their team name to the Mexicas. This would be the first s ...

. He became a key member of the Fundidores defensive unit that allowed the second-fewest yards in the league (2,138). González recorded 7.5 sacks and blocked two extra points on the season. González was subsequently invited to the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

rookie mini-camp in May 2018. However, he was not offered a contract. González was selected by the

of the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...

(CFL) with the seventh overall pick of the

. He had improved his draft stock after recording 31 bench press reps at the CFL–LFA Combine in

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

, the most out of the select pool of 51 players. The Lions general manager,

Ed Hervey Edward Hervey (born May 4, 1973) is an American former professional football wide receiver who is the general manager for the Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played in the CFL for the Edmonton Eskimos for eight years and ...

, was reported to have "settled for athletic and the ability to speak English" in player evaluations. González returned to the Fundidores de Monterrey for the

2019 LFA season The 2019 Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional, LFA season was the fourth season of the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional, the top American football league in Mexico. The regular season began on February 22 and concluded on April 14. The playo ...

. The Fundidores defense allowed a league-best 2,059 yards as González recorded a team-high five sacks on the season. However, the team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs after a 53–47 overtime loss to the

Raptors de Naucalpan Raptors de Naucalpan (English: ''Naucalpan Raptors'') are an American football team based in Naucalpan, Mexico. The Raptors compete in the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional, the top American football league in Mexico. The team plays its home g ...

. Just a few weeks later, González joined the BC Lions training camp in May along with fellow countrymen Fernando Richarte and

Gerardo Álvarez Gerardo Elías Álvarez Ovalle (born 15 September 1988) is a Mexican professional gridiron football wide receiver for the Dinos de Saltillo of the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (LFA). Álvarez played college football at UAC and pr ...

. However, he was released in early June after having suffered a broken foot in camp. González recorded one sack in

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

before the remainder of the season was cancelled due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. He also returned a blocked punt for a touchdown against the

Mexicas CDMX The Mexica (Nahuatl: ; singular ) are a Nahuatl-speaking people of the Valley of Mexico who were the rulers of the Triple Alliance, more commonly referred to as the Aztec Empire. The Mexica established Tenochtitlan, a settlement on an island ...

. The

2021 LFA season The 2021 LFA season would have been the sixth season of the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (LFA), the top American football league in Mexico. Initially, the regular season was scheduled to begin in March 2021. However, the kickoff date was ...

was cancelled as well.

Parrilleros de Monterrey (2022)

González signed with the

, an expansion team in the rival

(FAM) league, ahead of the 2022 FAM season. He aided the team to an appearance in the ''Balón de Plata'', the league championship game, though they lost to the Rojos CDMX.

Caudillos de Chihuahua (2023–present)

After the FAM league shut down operations, González signed with the

, one of four FAM teams who joined the LFA ahead of the

2023 LFA season The 2023 LFA season is the eight season of operation (seventh season of play) of the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (LFA), the top American football league in Mexico. The regular season began on 4 March and will end on 14 May, with the play ...

. The Caudillos finished the regular season with a perfect 10–0 record. González contributed four sacks on a defensive unit that led the league in fewest points allowed (188) and fewest yards allowed (3,055). He recorded two key sacks in the fourth quarter of their 34–20 semifinal win over the defending champions, the

. The Caudillos went on to defeat the

Dinos de Saltillo Dinos de Saltillo (English: ''Saltillo Dinos'') are an American football team based in Saltillo, Mexico. The Dinos compete in the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional, the top American football league in Mexico. The team plays its home games at t ...

by a score of 10–0 in Tazón México VI to complete their

. González earned Tazón México MVP honors, becoming the second defensive player (and second defensive lineman) to win the award. In

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

, González led the league with eight sacks. He helped the Caudillos complete their second straight

by compiling an 8–0 regular-season record and beating the Raptors de Naucalpan in Tazón México VII.

National team career

González was called up to represent the Mexico national team at the

. He was named the team MVP in their opening game against the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

after recording two sacks, one tackle for loss and a forced fumble in the 30–6 defeat. Mexico ultimately defeated

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, 20–7, in the bronze medal game for their best finish since

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

Personal life

In 2019, González was a contestant on the third season of the

Exatlón Estados Unidos ''Exatlon Estados Unidos'' is an American reality competition television series that premiered on Telemundo Telemundo (; formerly NetSpan) is an American Spanish-language terrestrial television network owned by NBCUniversal Telemundo En ...

, a

reality competition Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s ...

series on

Telemundo Telemundo (; formerly NetSpan) is an American Spanish-language terrestrial television network owned by NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, a division of NBCUniversal, which in turn is a wholly owned subsidiary of Comcast. It provides content ...

. He later returned for the show's fifth season. González reached the finals on both occasions. In December 2020, González announced his engagement to his girlfriend, model Flor Véliz.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gonzalez, Octavio Living people 1990s births Year of birth uncertain Mexican players of American football Mexican players of Canadian football American football defensive ends Canadian football defensive linemen Auténticos Tigres UANL players Fundidores de Monterrey players BC Lions players Caudillos de Chihuahua players Sportspeople from Monterrey Players of American football from San Antonio