Guillermo Villalobos

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Guillermo Villalobos
No. 84 – Mexicas de la Ciudad de México
Position:Wide receiver
Personal information
Born: (1991-07-24) 24 July 1991 (age 32)
Mexico
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:180 lb (82 kg)
Career information
College:ITESM CEM
CFL Draft:2019 LFA / Round: 2 / Pick: 11
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Player stats at CFL.ca
Guillermo Villalobos
Medal record
Representing  Mexico
Men's Flag football
World Games
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Birmingham Team Competition
IFAF Americas Championship
Silver medal – second place 2023 Charlotte Team Competition

Guillermo Alberto Villalobos Zanabria (born 24 July 1991) is a Mexican professional gridiron football wide receiver for the Mexicas CDMX of the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (LFA). He played college football at ITESM CEM. Villalobo was drafted in the 2019 CFL-LFA Draft and played during two seasons for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL).

Early years[edit]

Villalobos has played American football since he was five years old. His father also played college football with the Águilas Blancas of the Instituto Politécnico Nacional. Villalobos started in lower categories playing for several teams of the Atizapán area in Greater Mexico City. After finishing high school, he was offered a scholarship to play football in the Borregos Salvajes CEM.[1]

College career[edit]

Villalobos joined the ITESM CEM college football team, one of the most successful programs in Mexico, where he earned a major in Business Administration.[2] Despite never winning a championship, Villalobos had a successful career: in 2015 he achieved the single-season receiving yards league record with 1230 yards in 35 catches.[1]

After graduating, Villalobos spent one year without playing football until 2016, when he was selected by the Eagles of the newly established Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (LFA).[2]

Professional career[edit]

Villalobos played in the inaugural LFA season for the Eagles, later rebranded as Mexicas, and stayed there for four seasons. His highlights include winning one championship with the team, and the MVP, at Tazón México III, and winning the 2019 award for Best Receiver.[1]

In 2019, Villalobos was selected as the 11th pick of the 2019 CFL-LFA Draft by the Ottawa Redblacks.[3] After going through medical checks, Villalobos joined the team in May 2019.[4]

On July 24, 2019, Villalobos was promoted to the Redblacks' active roster, and made his CFL debut the following day against the Calgary Stampeders. In August, he landed in the team's practice roster. And on September 12, 2019, he made it again to the active roster.[5] In total, he dressed in eight regular season games in 2019. He re-signed with the Redblacks on January 13, 2021.[6] Villalobos was released by the Redblacks in September 2021.[7]

Villalobos was signed by the Mexicas for the 2022 LFA season.[8]

National team career[edit]

Villalobos represents the Mexico national flag football team in international competition. He helped Mexico win the bronze medal at the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama,[9] catching a touchdown pass in their 39–35 win over Austria in the bronze medal game. Villalobos later helped Mexico win the silver medal at the 2023 IFAF Americas Continental Championships in Charlotte, North Carolina, catching a touchdown pass in their 40–36 loss to the United States in the gold medal game.[10]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Guillermo Villalobos; algunos datos personales que no conocías del MVP". Máximo Avance (in Spanish). 23 April 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Tras los pasos de su padre". Reporte Indigo (in Spanish). 10 October 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  3. ^ "Redblacks receiver Villalobos catches on in new country, new league". Ottawa Sun. 11 October 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  4. ^ "Villalobos: Learn and make it in this league - Ottawa REDBLACKS". ottawaredblacks.com. Ottawa Redblacks. 16 May 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  5. ^ "Guillermo Villalobos CFL Stats & News". Rotowire. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  6. ^ "Redblacks re-sign Global players Jose Maltos and Guillermo Villalobos". OttawaRedblacks.com. January 13, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  7. ^ "A good catch? Redblacks receiver Kenny Stafford moving on from 'cultural fit' comment from Elks coach". Ottawa Sun. September 18, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  8. ^ Ávila, Carlos (6 February 2022). "Raptors y Mexicas, la batalla por el centro de México". LFA.mx (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  9. ^ "México logra tres preseas más en los World Games". La Jornada (in Spanish). 15 July 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  10. ^ "USA men outlast Mexico to claim IFAF Americas Championship". IFAF. 8 July 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2024.