RIO GRANDE CITY — Grulla head football coach Abel Gonzalez has spent the past 13 years at the helm of the Gators.
Before he began roaming the sidelines with a headset on, however, Gonzalez was terrorizing defenses on the gridiron.
From earning All-Valley Offensive Player of the Year honors as a senior in high school to being named Lone Star Conference Offensive Back of the Year as a senior in college, Gonzalez racked up the accolades as a player.
Now he can add hall of famer to his resumè, being announced as a part of the 2023 Javelina Hall of Fame Class on Wednesday.
“I’m extremely humbled and honored by being inducted here,” Gonzalez said. “It is pretty crazy. I’ve played with a lot of great athletes. A lot of great football players have come through this university. To be inducted to the hall of fame, it really is a big deal. I’m really excited because it is a big moment for me and my family since they’ll be able to be there for the induction.”
The 1999 Rio Grande City graduate was a dominant force under center for the Rattlers during his senior season, leading them to a 7-6 mark and a third-round playoff appearance before taking his talents to Texas A&M Kingsville.
At Kingsville, Gonzalez continued to shine, amassing a 28-18 overall record during his four-year career behind 5,905 passing yards and 51 touchdowns.
He saved his best performances for the final two years of his collegiate career, tallying a 19-5 record during his junior and senior seasons, earning All-Lone Star Conference honors in both seasons.
Gonzalez left Kingsville with several program records in tow, while also ranking in the top 10 all-time in several categories. His 457 passing yards against UC Davis on Nov. 17, 2001, still ranks No. 1 in a single game in program history.
He also holds the record for most total yards in a season and in a career, racking up 3,173 in 2001 and finishing with 7,828 all-time.
“The teams that I played with, I had some special teammates and coaches that helped me with my success,” Gonzalez said. “It was a great time. We were able to put up big numbers. Like I said, I just had a great group around me.”
After his collegiate career, Gonzalez made a brief stint in the Arena Football League, playing for the RGV Dorados before leaving to pursue his coaching career in 2004.
Gonzalez spent two years coaching within PSJA ISD before returning home to Rio Grande City in 2006 to serve as his alma mater’s offensive coordinator. In 2010, Gonzalez left Rio Grande City to step into a new role in the newly formed Grulla High School, where he has served as the program’s athletic director and head coach since.
“During my senior year, my last game in the national semifinals, I tore my PCL, so I was kind of beat up after college,” Gonzalez said. “I was kind of young, so I recovered enough. The arena football thing opened locally, so I said let me give it a run. I had a great time there. I finished my last game there on a Saturday, and the next Monday I was already coaching. … I got hired at PSJA Memorial and it was a great place for me to switch gears as a player and flipped it into a coach. I fell in love with it and decided to not go back to arena football. I knew this is what I was going to do.”
Gonzalez is one of three former student-athletes set to be inducted into the Javelina Hall of Fame, joined by softball player Cassie Anderson and basketball player Isaac Washington.
The induction ceremony will be held Feb. 16 in the Memorial Student Union Building located at Texas A&M Kingsville.