NEW YORK, NY — On Sunday night under the brightest lights in American sports, Puerto Rico will be represented on the world’s biggest stage—not just through music, but through muscle, grit, and years of sacrifice.
Federico Maranges, a native of Dorado, Puerto Rico, stands on the brink of history as part of the Seattle Seahawks organization ahead of Super Bowl LX. For Maranges, earning a master’s degree in biomedical sciences at Florida Atlantic University, a former football captain at FAU and 2023 Student Athlete of the Year, his journey represents a growing yet still underrepresented Puerto Rican and Latino presence in American football.
Federico Maranges, moving from Dorado, Puerto Rico to Miami, Florida after Hurricane Maria in 2017, shined at Florida Atlantic University on the football field as well as in the classroom – Image Credit: Florida Atlantic University Athletics
While Maranges is currently a member of Seattle’s practice squad, his role as a backup center carries significance far beyond the depth chart. Practice squad players prepare weekly at the highest professional level, absorbing the speed, strength, and precision of the NFL and for Maranges, that preparation represents progress for an entire community.
“The nerves are there, but this is the moment we practice for and we are ready for this,” Maranges said.
Federico Maranges spoke highly on his Puerto Rican roots throughout the week leading up to Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, California – Image Credit: Rod Mar/Seattle Seahawks
His presence in this year’s Super Bowl aligns with a broader cultural moment. As Bad Bunny headlines the Halftime Show, becoming the first solo Spanish-speaking Latinx artist to do so, with the current political landscape in the country, this Sunday is more than a football game or a musical number, it represents the fortitude and resiliency of the Latin diaspora.
When asked about the large Latin presence at this year’s Super Bowl, Maranges said:
“It’s important, and I take pride in raising the Puerto Rican flag as high as I can,” and “Thank you God for getting me here to this moment and always motivating and showing the talent of the Latino community and Puerto Rican community throughout the world.”
Federico Maranges is one of six Latinos in this year’s Super Bowl between Seattle and New England, joining Christian González (NE), Andrés Borregales (NE), Jaylinn Hawkins (NE), Julian Love (SEA) and Elijah Arroyo (SEA)- Image Credit: Seattle Seahawks/NFL
The Seahawks-Patriots matchup also brings historical weight. The teams last meeting at this magnitude was in Super Bowl XLIX, a game remembered for Malcolm Butler’s last-second interception and one of the most debated play calls in NFL history. Legend has it, you can still hear Marshawn Lynch laughing at his head coach Pete Carrol. Eleven years later, the rematch offers redemption for Seattle and a new era for New England.
Latino representation on the field continues to expand. Players such as Christian González, Andrés Borregales, Fred Warner, Bryce Young and Isiah Pacheco, among others—reflect the NFL’s increasingly diverse talent pool—a progression decades in the making, dating back to pioneers like Mexican-Americans Tom Fears, Jim Plunkett, and Anthony Muñoz.
From Benito commanding the Super Bowl stage to Indiana Hoosiers’ Cuban-American quarterback Fernando Mendoza standing on the brink of becoming the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Latino representation is no longer knocking on the door it has arrived, and it’s here to stay.
Year on year, Latinos continue to stamp their mark on the sport of American football as it shows in Super Bowl LX on the field and for the Halftime Show headlined by Bad Bunny – Image Credit: NFL
If the Seahawks were to win Sunday, Maranges already knows who he would think of first.
“My father,” he revealed.
It is a simple answer, grounded in family, Boricua tradition and a theme that echoes throughout the entire Latin culture. From Dorado to the Super Bowl, Federico Maranges journey embodies more than football.
It represents belief, opportunity, and the steady expansion of Latino influence in America’s most powerful sporting institution.
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