- Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez hopes his Super Bowl 60 appearance will inspire young Latino football fans.
- After a strong 2025 season, Gonzalez made a game-winning interception in the AFC championship to send the Patriots to the Super Bowl.
- The Colombian-American player will face a tough matchup against Seahawks receiver and 2025 Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
- Teammates describe Gonzalez as a quiet but impactful player who remains calm under pressure.
FOXBOROUGH, MA – Christian Gonzalez understands Spanish better than he speaks it, and on this afternoon in the New England Patriots locker room, the (actually deserving) Pro Bowl cornerback claimed he was too tired to translate a message for his Spanish-speaking supporters.
But the proud Colombian-American said he hopes his appearance in Super Bowl 60 can spark young Latinos’ interest in football.
“That’s the goal,” he told USA TODAY Sports.
Gonzalez does not have significant plans to honor his heritage on Super Sunday, unlike the suit he wore when the Patriots drafted him 17th overall from Oregon in 2023. The inside lining featured the Colombian flag.
“It’s awesome,” Gonzalez said. “I rep my heritage hard. And I’m glad to put on for them.”
Hector Gonzalez, Gonzalez’s father, was born and raised in Colombia and moved to the United States to play collegiate basketball at the University of Texas-El Paso. His son inherited his athletic prowess. Instead of locking up ballhandlers, though, he shuts down wide receivers.
“I feel like I’ve just been doing what I got to do,” Gonzalez said. “Just trying to make the plays I got to make when my number’s called.”
After an injury-plagued rookie season, Gonzalez bounced back to finish fifth in Comeback Player of the Year voting in 2024; he was also a second-team All-Pro.
The 2025 campaign has been Gonzalez’s finest, though, even without an interception during the regular season. Opposing quarterbacks know better than to throw his way. In 14 games, he broke up 10 passes and recorded 69 tackles.
“He’s a real smooth guy, real smooth out of his transition,” fellow cornerback Carlton Davis told USA TODAY Sports. “You never see him panic. He’s just smooth all the time.”
Game-breaking interception against Broncos highlights Gonzalez’s big year
Gonzalez saved his biggest moment of the season for the final minutes of the AFC championship game against the Denver Broncos, when quarterback Jarrett Stidham floated a duck into the snowstorm. Gonzalez read the play perfectly and secured the pigskin – along with a Patriots’ Super Bowl berth.
“It definitely was a great moment for him, and the team in general, especially that deep into the game,” Patriots safety Dell Pettus told USA TODAY Sports. “I think it is a reflection of, like, the type of player and caliber of player he is. He’s a quiet guy. He might not get the recognition that he deserves. But when it’s time for him to make a play, or when the moment’s there, we know we can depend on him.”
Gonzalez is the type of person who won’t necessarily speak unless he has something to say – even then, it’s in a quieter tone. He’s still a great teammate and “dude,” according to Pettus.
“We got all the respect in the world for him and we appreciate him,” he said.
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel noticed a difference in Gonzalez during the final weeks of the season and playoffs, he said. Earlier in the AFC title game, he had a run-stop at the line of scrimmage for no gain and was also credited with a sack.
“There’s just a presence, I feel like,” Vrabel said. “And again, not that there was anything that was wrong. I just felt him. I just felt when he blitzed, when he covered, when he – maybe it was just me, but I’ve got a pretty good seat for some of these games. And so, I just felt him start to continue to impact at a greater level. You heard him, you saw him, and obviously his play. So, that’s no secret that we’ll need him to play well, as well as the rest of our other good players.”
‘JSN’ vs. ‘Gonzo’ could be Super Bowl’s critical matchup
Gonzalez’s assignment in the Super Bowl will be one of his toughest, with Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba the 2025 Offensive Player of the Year. “JSN” and “Gonzo” both grew up in the Dallas area and graduated the same year, although they played in different divisions.
Gonzalez called Smith-Njigba “an amazing receiver” whose best attribute is his route-running ability, and he can run them all.
“He loves going up, getting that competition,” Gonzalez said. “Just got to be myself, make the plays when my number’s called.”
Davis said Gonzalez is not a big talker.
“Just hella chill, (keeps) to himself, really low-key guy, easygoing,” he said.
Davis’ locker isn’t next to Gonzalez’s though, which gives cornerback Alex Austin a unique perspective of the 23-year-old.
“Everybody says he’s quiet, but he talks (if) he’s cool with you,” Austin told USA TODAY Sports.
Gonzalez is somebody who can be goofy, who likes to play around and crack jokes with the fellas. His locker mate has helped Austin by teaching him the ways of “just staying mellow, man.”
“Gonzo is a very mellow person,” he said. “Someone who, whether it’s high or low times, is going to be himself. That’s something I take from him – just stay mellow and stay calm.”
Gonzalez told the Patriots’ team site after his rookie season that his favorite restaurant he discovered in Boston was a Colombian joint called El Peñol.
“It’s a great Colombian restaurant,” he said.
He picked up his passion for cooking from his father, who did the cooking in the household. Were it not for football, he said, culinary school would have been an option.
That makes sense to Austin.
“We talking about empanadas all the time,” said Austin, who detailed how he and Gonzalez walked around Miami together the night before playing the Dolphins and searched for the best one.
Whether he’s intercepting passes, eating blocks on the edge or exploring a city with a teammate, Gonzalez’s heritage is a part of him.