Dave Canales made their way from the school ranks to becoming a coach in chief of the Panthers
There are only five coaches in Latin origin in the history of the NFL y Dave channels It is one of them. The chief coach of the Carolina Panthers Face his second campaign in the position, but the challenge is not easy due to the demand that the position has, but the Mexican blood That runs through your veins is key in your personality.
“I think I am living a dream, you know?, To have a job that is significant. It is a job that I enjoy, that I love doing, to be able to inspire other people who have their own dreams, try to help them achieve them in one way or another,” he revealed Dave channels In exclusive interview with ESPN.
Dave channels It has its well -established principles and its very clear goals. With 44 years, he knows that he wants to shine with the North Carolina franchise and leave his mark, just as Ron Rivera did a few years ago.
From a young age he was clear that he wanted to get to the NFL And his path opened little by little thanks to an opportunity that Pete Carroll gave him more than 15 years ago. The current Head Coach of Las Vegas Raiders was his mentor and who opened the doors to the League.
Little by little, Dave channels climbed positions, went from collegial football to the great franchises of the NFL And, even knows what it is to be champion of a Super Bowl, so he wants to replicate success with the Panthers.
Dave channels He always proudly carries his Mexican roots, which have formed the character and preserves traditions that are vital in his family.
The beginning of the dream towards the NFL
Born and raised in California, there is no doubt that Dave Canales knows what it is to be Latin And how is the community. More because their grandparents came from Mexico to the United States in search of a dream. His grandfather, Miguel Canales, even fought in World War II and his return founded a church in Carson, California.
The faith and principles of their grandparents, transmitted to their parents, have been key in their formation.
“I feel very proud of my origins. I live and I stay thanks to the dreams of my grandparents, which came illegally from Mexico A long time ago with the hope of a better life. They met and married. My grandfather enlisted in the Army to become an American citizen and then had three children who were born as US citizens and their dream for them was first God, then education and then be able to go play, “he said Dave channels.
“We had a lot of faith in the dreams that you can become what you want if you are willing to strive for it. And I still feel it. Panthers.
Dave channels It was influenced under those thoughts. Carries seven different jobs in the NFL Since Pete Carroll gave him his first opportunity as an offensive assistant and closed wings coach at the University of Southern California (USC).
“I have had seven different jobs so far in the NFL And each job was an opportunity. And it wasn't always something I knew how to do, but I had a dream. So I was willing to learn. I was willing to do it and that is my stimulus and my challenge for the Latin community: he dreams big, “he said Dave channels.
In 2010, when Pete Carroll took him to the Seattle Seahawks he started as an open receiver coach until 2017. He was then a quarterback coach in 2018 and 2019, in addition to that he was key in the development of Russell Wilson.
In 2020 he was a air game coordinator and by 2021 and 2022 he returned as a quarterback coach, where he helped Geno Smith win the player's return of the year.
By 2023 he passed with the Bay Buccaneers Tampa and was an offensive coordinator. That year I guided Baker Mayfield and made him have one of the best years of his career with more than 4,000 aerial yards and 28 annotations, in addition to 64.3 percent of his completed releases.
The pride of being Latino
Dave channels embrace his Mexican inheritance And he tells that it is a pride that it is the fifth chief coach in the history of the Latin origin league. His name joins the list that Tom Fears, Tom Flores, Ron Rivera and Brian Flores. Casually, Dave channels And Rivera are the only ones who have shared a team.
“Honestly, it makes me feel humble,” he replied Dave channels When asked about his feelings for being just the fifth coach of chief of Latin origin in the league. The smile enlightened his face to know that he belongs to a very small group.
That is why the NFL It has the Rooney Rule, which is a policy that requires the teams to interview candidates for minorities and women for management and coach positions, seeking to increase diversity in the League. Introduced in 2003 and appointed by Dan Rooney, president of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the rule has evolved to include more positions and require interviews with external candidates, both face -to -face and virtual.
“I feel humble because I understand the challenges faced by the Latin community in general in many different ways. I know there are many things that we have to overcome, that we have to choose so that future generations are getting better. But I know that, being here, in this position, I am the living test that it can be achieved,” he said with pride.
Ron Rivera's heritage
Ron Rivera is one of the emblems of the organization of the Panthers. The coach, of Puerto Rican father and Mexican mother, was with the franchise from 2011 to 2019. In that period he was appointed twice coach of the year.
In addition, it ended with a 76-63-1 mark in regular season and 3-4 in the postseason. In his nine campaigns at the head of the team, he led to the Panthers Three titles from the South NFC and the appearance in the Super Bowl 50, which lost to the Denver Broncos.
It was almost a decade that Rivera led the organization. It was the emblem of the team and left many things within the people who continue in the franchise.
“I was in Seattle when we played against the Panthers And Coach Rivera was here, and we always knew that they were going to be very well trained, that they were going to be disciplined and that they were going to play hard. We knew what we could expect from the American football culture of the Panthers“He said Coach Canales In the first instance.
“I find myself in a situation in which the culture that remained of those days was that of players, people in this building that is treated with respect and that values and appreciates every day,” he added Dave channels on the influence of Rivera.
The dream of a legacy with the Panthers
Dave channels He knows well that he has to work hard to achieve sports success. Of course, he looks for a Super Bowl ring, the first as a chief coach. The experience he had in Seattle next to Carroll serves to know what to do in the search for excellence.
“My dream is to create a champions culture here, in Carolinaand we are all working for it. I was lucky to be part of a champion team in Seattle, and I know the type of work that requires being centered every day, striving to get something, striving to win, striving to improve, “he confessed in the interview with the interview with ESPN.
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How did Coach Canales formed the Mexico culture?
Dave Canales tries to keep his traditions alive and feels proud to be the fifth Latin chief coach in the NFL.
Dave channels He knows that he needs everyone's support in the organization. That is why it gives all the importance to staff that is directly involved with the team, but also to the rest of the people who work in the facilities and make sports work much easier.
“All these people are working in the same direction to create a championship environment in which the best of the best is given. That is my dream. My dream is that all the departments that make up the Carolina Panthers be organizations with championship level, “he said Dave channels.
That is why Dave channels He knows that everything is possible with work and dedication. He knows that Hispanics dream big and wants them to continue like this, that they do not limit themselves and even be afraid of the things so great they imagine.
“I would say that, if your dream does not scare you, it's not big enough. It dreams of big. It doesn't matter where you come from, you're very close. It's about daily decisions. It's about hard work. It's about love and respect. Start at home.”
“But to dream big, I support me in two dreamers who had the dream of forming a family in the United States, and here we are. And I know it is possible, and I know that it takes a long time, but No ters“He said Dave channels in a message that sent all Hispanics.
