Central Catholic wide receiver Peter Gonzalez receives NFL Latino Youth Honors award

By: Chris Harlan
Friday, February 9, 2024 | 2:02 AM

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This is awards season for the NFL, and one went to a high school senior from the WPIAL. Central Catholic’s Peter Gonzalez received an inaugural honor that recognized his football talents and his Hispanic heritage.

The Penn State-bound wide receiver emerged from a field of 56 nominees to win NFL Latino Youth Honors, which is a combined award offered by the NFL and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation. Each NFL team was asked to nominate exemplary student-athletes who played high school tackle or flag football.

Gonzalez, whose father Pete played quarterback at Pitt and in the NFL, has Cuban and Honduran ancestry.

“The impact football has had on my life, it goes well beyond the field,” Gonzalez told Steelers.com, which announced the award. “From the teammates and friends that I’ve made, to the coaches and mentors I’ve had in my life, all of them have really culminated into making me the man I am today, and that’s something I can never repay.

“I’m always grateful for the connections I’ve made to the game of football.”

Gonzalez was chosen by a panel of NFL and Hispanic Heritage Foundation staff, which narrowed the list to eight finalists before choosing a national winner this week. The finalists included four boys and four girls. Joining Gonzalez were three finalists from Florida, two from California, one from New Jersey and one from Illinois.

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

Tags: Central Catholic