Farewell to a visionary Spanish television – La Opinion

         He played Rams and Cowboys, before making history as the founder of what is now Univision
 

 

  Danny Villanueva, second from left. to r., is a legend of the sport and television in Spanish.
 

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Danny Villanueva first became known as a football player with the Rams and Cowboys . then made history and a fortune after founding the chain now known as Univision.

Villanueva, the great pioneer of television in Spanish , died last June 18 at a hospital in Ventura, California. He was 77.

Born in Tucumcari , a small town in New Mexico, where his parents had arrived Mexican immigrants, Villanueva grew up in Calexico . He earned a scholarship to the University of New Mexico State and as part of the football team of the institution was winner in consecutive years (1959 and 1960) or the famous Sun Bowl Sun Bowl , which is made in El Paso.

Villanueva, a shooter, reached the NFL with the Rams in Los Angeles . He debuted in the 1960 season with 12 field goals in 19 attempts and 28 extra points in the same number of attempts.

Since 1961, his career took on greater prominence to combine their functions goal kicker field with those of punter. In 1962 and 1963 led the NFL in total yards on punts .

Villanueva, one of the first Hispanics in league play kickers, set a record on the season 1966, when he played for the Dallas Cowboys , to hit its 56 extra point attempts. Its eighth and final season in the league was in 1967 with Dallas.

But Villanueva best was yet to come. became a television commentator in English and then news director at the station KMEX Los Angeles , in which he rose to become its president, prompting local coverage of news and events.

In 1962, Villanueva was instrumental in the birth of Spanish International Communications Corp ., along with a TV station in San Antonio, the first of its kind in the country, and then another in Miami. That string time later became Univision .

“He thought he could be a free journalist and we could succeed. I think it was a visionary “ said Jorge Ramos in an interview broadcast by Univision. “knew that the TV in Spanish in the United States would be not only filling, but leadership that would change America” ​​.

Besides being a mogul and visionary of television in Spanish in the country , Villanueva became known for his interest in the community, especially in Los Angeles.

Launched called “Navidad en el Barrio” , an annual event type telethon to provide the underprivileged a decent Christmas celebration , with toys and food, and the amanercer 90 he founded “Fiesta Broadway” , Cinco de Mayo largest in the country.

Rest in peace.