Jefes de Ciudad Juárez (English: Ciudad Juárez Chiefs) are an American football team based in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. The Jefes compete in the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (LFA), the top American football league in Mexico, after playing its inaugural season in the Fútbol Americano de México league. The team plays its home games at the Estadio 20 de Noviembre, with a capacity of 5,000 seated spectators.[1]
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| Established | 18 March 2022 |
|---|---|
| Based in | Ciudad Juárez, Mexico |
| Home field | Estadio 20 de Noviembre |
| Head coach | Eduardo Araujo |
| Owner(s) | César Durán |
| League | Fútbol Americano de México 2022 Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional 2023–present |
| Colours | Black, red, gold and white |
| Website | jefesprofootball |
History edit
On 18 March 2022, the team was presented at a press conference in Ciudad Juárez as an expansion team in the Fútbol Americano de México (FAM) league, with César Durán as the owner and president and David Silva as its first head coach.[2][3] The inaugural 48-man roster was revealed the following month and included 16 foreign players, all with NCAA Division I or Division II experience.[4]
The Jefes played their first game on 30 April 2022, kicking off the 2022 season with an 18–0 victory over the Bulldogs de Naucalpan at the Estadio Jaime Labastida.[5] Andre Dowdell caught the first touchdown in team history from quarterback Andrés Chío in their first drive.[5] The following week, the Jefes lost 18–16 to the Rojos CDMX in their home opener.[6] After another loss in week 3, the team fired head coach David Silva and promoted linebackers coach Mario Diaz to the position.[7] The Jefes finished their inaugural season with a 3–5 record, failing to qualify for the playoffs.[8]
League change edit
On 30 September 2022, the FAM league announced it was shutting down operations, leaving the Jefes without a league.[6] In October, the team announced it was joining the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (LFA) for its upcoming season with Lorenzo Gathers as the new head coach.[9][10] He became the first non-Mexican coach in LFA history.[11]
On 26 March, Jefes fired Lorenzo Gathers after the team failed to win a single game on their first four matches; Gathers was replaced by Randall Mendoza.[12] Later, Gathers published a letter in which he pointed out the team's disorganization, such as not paying the players and staff and not allowing him to choose his coaching staff.[13]
Roster edit
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
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Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
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Italics indicate International player | |||||||||
Season-by-season edit
| Season | League | Head coach | Regular season | Postseason | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | |||
| 2022 | FAM | David Silva/Mario Díaz | 3 | 5 | .375 | 7th | Did not qualify | |||
| 2023 | LFA | Lorenzo Gathers/Randall Mendoza | 1 | 9 | .100 | 10th | ||||
| Total | 4 | 14 | .222 | |||||||
References edit
- ^ "Estadio 20 de Noviembre, la casa de Jefes". LFA.mx (in Spanish). 16 February 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
- ^ Meza, Jorge (18 March 2022). "Jefes será el equipo juarense que jugará en la FAM". El Heraldo de Juárez (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ Ocón Guevara, Alfonso (19 March 2022). "Nacen los 'Jefes'". El Diario de Juárez (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ Morán, Eduardo (21 April 2022). "Jefes presentan su roster para la temporada 2022 de la FAM". El Diario de Juárez (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ a b "Jefes Ciudad Juárez debutan con blanqueada sobre Bulldogs Naucalpan". Máximo Avance (in Spanish). 30 April 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ a b Álvarez, Rafael (23 January 2023). "Jefes de la cancha". NetNoticias.mx (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 February 2023.
- ^ Meza, Jorge (18 May 2022). "Cambia de timonel el equipo de Los Jefes". El Heraldo de Juárez (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 February 2023.
- ^ "Jefes se despidió con victoria ante Parrilleros de Monterrey". El Heraldo de Juárez (in Spanish). 27 June 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
- ^ Morán, Eduardo (17 October 2022). "Se unen Jefes de Ciudad Juárez a la Liga de Futbol Americano profesional". El Diario de Juárez (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 February 2023.
- ^ Morán, Eduardo (18 October 2022). "Encaran Jefes nuevo reto". El Diario de Juárez (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 February 2023.
- ^ Lospinuso, Vincent (17 February 2023). "Mexico: Jefes de Ciudad Juárez hire Lorenzo Gathers as first American HC in LFA". American Football International. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
- ^ "Rescinde Jefes a Head Coach Lorenzo Gathers". A Diario (in Spanish). 26 March 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ "Acusa ex coach Gathers de racismo a directiva de Jefes". A Diario (in Spanish). 26 March 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.