Zane Gonzalez

Zane Gonzalez's Biography

Established American football placekicker, Zane Gonzalez, whose full name is — Holden Fortunato “Zane” Gonzalez, was born on May 7, 1995. Currently a free agent, Gonzalez has built a successful and fulfilling football career, starting from his glory days at Arizona State University all through to the National Football League (NFL). He impressed while in the NCAA Division I, breaking records for the most field goals, a record that is now held by Christopher Dunn.

The accomplished kicker Gonzalez was first signed by Arizona State University (ASU) on March 28, 2013, where he played college football for the Sun Devils from 2013 to 2016. His freshman year was exceptional; he played every game, connecting on 25 out of 30 field goals successfully (83.3%), and converting all 63 extra point attempts. Significant achievements included breaking the ASU record for points by a kicker with 138 on the season, and tying the NCAA record for field goals made by a freshman.

From his sophomore year through to senior year, Gonzalez continued to flourish as a valuable asset to his team. In his junior season, he even managed to become the school’s all-time scoring leader. With his phenomenal performances, he was continually awarded with accolades, including the distinguished Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week and selection into All-Pac-12 teams. He also won the prestigious Lou Groza Award in his final season for the Sun Devils.

Gonzalez began his professional career by being selected by the Cleveland Browns in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL draft. On May 16, 2017, the Browns rewarded the talented kicker with a four-year contract valued at $2.48 million. He performed impressively for the Browns, connecting 25 of 26 extra point attempts and 15 of 20 field goal attempts.

After his stint with the Browns ended in September 2017, Gonzalez was signed to the practice squad of the Arizona Cardinals in November 2018. He continued to excel, even recording a 44-yard go-ahead field goal that led the Cardinals to a victory against the Green Bay Packers. However, his journey with the Cardinals didn’t last long, ending with a release from the team in March 2021.

Subsequently, Gonzalez was brought on by the Detroit Lions on August 10, 2021. His tenure with the Lions was brief, and he was waived less than a month later, only to be re-signed to their practice squad the next day. Shortly after, the Carolina Panthers signed Gonzalez in September 2021. He achieved several laudable feats with the Panthers, even earning the National Football Conference (NFC) Special Teams Player of Week. However, an unfortunate quad injury during a warm-up before a match against the Buffalo Bills ended his season, leading to his placement on injured reserve.

In spite of the setback, the Panthers showed faith in Gonzalez’s capabilities and signed him to a one-year contract extension in March 2022. Unfortunately, history repeated itself when an injury to his quad during a warm-up in the last preseason game of the year led to him missing the entire season, and he was placed on injured reserve once more.

On March 24, 2023, the Carolina Panthers traded Gonzalez to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a conditional swap of late-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Yet again, his time with the 49ers was punctuated by another injury that led to his placement on injured reserve and subsequent release with an injury settlement.

Despite the series of injuries, Zane Gonzalez, who interestingly got his name from the movie Maverick, where James Garner’s character was named Zane, remains optimistic about his career in professional football. His record-breaking feats indicate a player with exceptional talent, and football lovers around the world continue to watch his journey with keen interest.