The third quarter of the College Football Finals was played between Jackson State University and North Carolina Central. The result was 21-17 in favor of the former. North Carolina had to clear and Peruvian Juan Velarde, the team’s kicker, was on the field. Together with his teammates, he already had a strategy: usually one player passes the ball to him and he kicks it as far as possible over the opposing field. But that didn’t happen this time. A team-mate pretended to pass the ball to him, he moved as if to stab, but the ball was given to another team-mate, who slipped through the opponents and ran about 40 yards across the opponent’s field until he scored case was brought.
A few games later, they managed a touchdown, a result that along with others helped earn the necessary points for the win. Juan Velarde remembers this game as one of the most exciting moments of the final won by his team, also known as Las Águilas. “It was a great deception and a great game,” he says. The match was dramatic. They won but they were tied in the final minutes. They went into overtime and won 41-37. They were the 2022 Cricket Celebration Bowl champions from Division 1 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the collegiate league from which all future stars come.
YOU CAN SEE: memory bursts
Born in Moyobamba, San Martín region, Juan went to the United States in 2016 to study. There he finished his high school or secondary education and later received offers from 11 institutions for scholarships as an athlete.
He shares how he got into football: “I switched to football my junior year of high school. He had strong legs and powerful kicks. And I also had the opportunity to go to university. The year I started, I was placed on the All Region Team. I didn’t even know the rules well. In the second year I took it more seriously. I make the punt, which is very technical. It takes a lot of training. In my senior year, we made it to the state finals with the team. Then I got eleven offers as an outstanding athlete and decided to go to the University of North Carolina Central.
Executing a punt with his academy team’s code number 59. Photo: Juan Velarde/The Republic
YOU CAN SEE: The young Peruvian is shining in the US and wants to reach the NFL
Dreams of the NFL
That’s where his story in American football begins. Juan, 21 years old, 1.80 tall and 85 kilos, is studying business administration, has been part of the team at his university since 2020, but has been at the start since the 2021 and 2022 seasons, he is the suitor. That is, the one who shoots the ball off the ground at the beginning of the game or when the ball is passed to him and sends it as far as possible across the opponent’s field so that the opposing team starts their attack from far away. He’s just a kicker. “When you are in Division 1 the competitiveness is very high, every player that comes is specialized in their position and does it best. 88% of NFL players are from Division 1,” he explains.
This is our compatriot’s big dream: to one day reach the National Football League (NFL), the powerful and media-focused American football league in the United States that moves millions of dollars in player salaries, TV rights, merchandise and more. . To get there, he has to play another year in Division 1. Anyone who makes it to the draft (an event where teams select the newest and best players) must have played at the college level for at least three years. Juan hopes to play two more years in Division 1 to improve his level and mileage average as a kicker.
“What a kicker needs to have is consistency, that is, maintaining a consistent yardage average. My average for 2022 is 42 yards. In leagues like the NFL, the average is 46. I’m hoping to improve on those numbers and work toward that. I’ve got about two seasons left to show myself,” he says firmly.
And while the number of players in the North American universe makes it difficult to reach the NFL, there are other professional leagues that aren’t as multimillion-dollar but are important. The oldest is the Canadian league, and there are two new and very competitive leagues: the XFL, which has Dwayne Johnson “The Rock” as a promoter, and the USFL, which attracts very good players.
“The level is similar, but unlike in the NFL, where you make millions, here they pay less. The good thing about these leagues is that the XFL is played from month-to-month, the USFL is played from month-to-month, and then the NFL. If a player has had a great season in one of the early days, they can be invited to the NFL by a team. And if he passes the test, he can stay with them,” says Juan. He is confident and believes in any path to the Star League.
At this point, Juan and his teammates are in preseason. You train 4 or 5 days a week, mornings and afternoons. He also goes to class between 9pm and 1.30pm. His athletic routine consists of lifting weights, working out his legs, maintaining his ideal weight, watching videos of his rivals, practicing set games, and getting speeches from the coach. In the playing season, which runs from July to December, they train from Tuesday to Sunday and only rest on Monday. If the game is in a different state, they travel a day before. “It’s very difficult to get through training and studying, but they help you schedule appointments so they don’t cross your path,” he says. They train like pros because they might play on a bigger team next season.
He finished 2022 with a championship against an undefeated team and hopes 2023 will be just as positive. “The championship was a joy, an emotion and an immense relief. Because that’s what you work all year for.” Juan hasn’t come to Peru since he left in 2016, but he always keeps a close eye on what’s happening here. “I have family in different parts of the country and I always follow the news. I love Peru with all my heart,” he says with a still recognizable national touch.
With the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) trophy that took her to the Division 1 Finals Photo: Juan Velarde/La República