He is not a well-known name, but his name would certainly ring a bell at every mention. Will Hernandez, who was selected by the New York Giants in the second round, played in UTEP’s left-wing defense and was All American twice. With the requirements of a great offensive liner and his skills, he would be an excellent fit for the Giants and help protect the team’s franchise quarterback like Eli Manning in jersey #71.
Will Hernandez Bio
Born as William Hernandez on September 2, 1995, in Las Vegas, Nevada, he grew up playing soccer, wrestling, and athletics (shot put and discus throwing). He also played on the varsity soccer team for three years as an offensive defender and defensive tackle at Chaparral High School in Las Vegas, where he graduated in 2013. Hernandez was selected as an all-conference player in both offense and defense and has recorded 42 tackles, eight sacks, one interception, five forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries as a senior.
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After his high school career, he received scholarship offers from Pac-12 conference schools such as Arizona State and Southern California. However, the colleges withdrew due to his academic ineligibility, although he became eligible about a month after the date of signing. Finally, he became involved with the University of Texas, El Paso (UTEP), probably the most anonymous school in football, where he played for the UTEP Miners, a fact that is often overlooked.
A redheaded freshman, he wanted to drop out of college, but his high school coach Bill Froman talked him out of it. He was convinced that he had the potential to play not only college football but also professional football. Will became a starter in the left guard in 2014, starting all 49 games he played during his college career.
Despite the reputation of his college in the Gridiron Arena, he has defied the cliché and won First Team Conference USA Honors for the Miners in both 2016 and 2017. This makes him the first UTEP offensive lineman to win the First Team Honors in consecutive seasons. Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Will Hernandez is absolutely more than good and came from there.
In addition to the All-Conference selection, he was named to the second team of the AP (Associated Press) All-American in 2016 and 2017, making him the first student to achieve this feat. He was also invited to the College Football All-Star Challenge. In December 2017, Hernandez graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology.
The Miners finished 12-0 in the 2017 season, which could have caused Hernandez to put things into cruise control and probably take away the scouts’ eyes, but he still stepped on the gas as a steady stream of scouts showed up at their games to take a look at the bulldozing inside blocker. Although the guards in the NFL don’t usually have high picks and usually don’t have dollars like tackles or even anchor offensive lines like centers, Will was scheduled for 2018 in one of the first two rounds of NFL drafts.
The expectations of the back-to-back AP second-team All American Guard were exceeded. He was not only selected to play in the NFL but also as a high-draft pick. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round (34th overall round) and soon after signed a four-year contract worth $7,450,740 with the Giants, guaranteeing $5,568,294, including a signing bonus of $3,498,720.
Will Hernandez Family and Parents
The frame is there, the pedigree as well as the talent. The Giants Guard was born by Robert Hernandez, a former professional football player in Mexico (the athletic gene is defined), and Angelica Lemus. Before his birth, his family moved from Mexico to Las Vegas. He grew up playing soccer until he discovered his love for football in the 8th grade, which proved to be his strength. Will Hernandez has a younger sister named Kathy.
As his dreams of rust began to take shape in his second year of high school, his family was hit hard financially as his father’s contracting business deteriorated. At that time, he began helping his father by shifting his focus away from soccer to get the business going again. He traded his shoulder pads, cleats, and punches for responsibilities like shoveling cement and hauling concrete blocks. The situation in Hernandez’s household lasted for about two years, during which they had to live in a shed (consisting of a bedroom with two beds, a living room, and a kitchen for four people) that they bought from Home Depot to make ends meet.
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It actually came to an end and things would change for the better. After these two years, which they described as life-changing, they finally moved back to their original home.
Determined to put a smile on the face of his family, Hernandez looked at something very specific without worrying about how much it would cost his first paycheck. While many newly drafted NFL players have a number of things that would be their first purchase, such as cars, a house, jewelry, or other lavish items, the offensive lineman fulfilled his lifelong dream of buying his parents a house weeks after signing a contract with the Giants. And what a beautiful smile he had on their faces.
Height, Weight, Measurements
The Giants’ Hog Molly is a rare combination of strength, balance, and athletic ability with the speed and athleticism to block well in space and be a good pulling guard. With a height of 1.90 (6′ 2″) m and a bodyweight of 138 kg, Will Hernandez is a brutal force in the trenches and is very aggressive when blocking at the point of attack, which led to him being called a mouth by most scouts.
His other measurements include:
Arm Length: 32”
Hands Size: 9 7/8”