Juan Wong

Juan Alberto Wong Borunda (born 6 May 1981) is a Mexican gridiron football coach and former wide receiver who is the current head coach of the Borregos Salvajes Laguna juvenile (under-18) team. He played college football with the Borregos Salvajes Laguna before signing with the Dallas Desperados of the Arena Football League in 2004. Wong played in NFL Europe for two seasons, appearing for the Rhein Fire, the Frankfurt Galaxy, and the Hamburg Sea Devils, before participating in New York Jets training camp in 2007.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Wong and the second or maternal family name is Borunda.
Juan Wong
ITESM Laguna (juvenile)
Position:Head coach
Personal information
Born: (1981-05-06) 6 May 1981
Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
College:ITESM Laguna (2001–2003)
Career history
As a player:
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
As a coach:
  • ITESM (2017–2020)
    Wide receivers coach
Career highlights and awards
  • 2× World Bowl champion (XIV, XV)
  • ONEFA Offensive Player of the Year (2002)
  • ONEFA Rookie of the Year (2001)
Juan Wong
Medal record
Men’s American football
Representing  Mexico
World Championship
Silver medal – second place2003 GermanyTeam

Wong represented the Mexico national team at the 2003 IFAF World Championship, winning a silver medal.

Early life and youth career

Wong was born on 6 May 1981 in Torreón, Coahuila, to Juan Alberto Wong Cobian and Rosadelia Borunda García.[1] His paternal great-grandfather was Chinese.[2] Wong began playing American football at a young age, joining the infant categories of the Jaguares del Campestre La Rosita, because his father was the head coach of the Gatos Negros del Tec Laguna, the football team at the La Laguna Institute of Technology.[1]

Wong later joined the Borregos Salvajes Laguna, leading the juvenile (18 and under) team to an appearance in the championship game as their quarterback.[1] The following season, Wong was moved up to the intermediate (20 and under) team, which competed in the CONOFAI, and was converted to a wide receiver, which he played from thereon out.[1] After the Borregos Laguna joined ONEFA, Wong led the intermediate category in catches and receiving yards in two consecutive seasons.[1]

College career

Wong attended the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM), Laguna Campus and played with the Borregos Laguna college football team in the Liga Mayor, the highest-tier category in ONEFA, from 2001 to 2003.[1] He led the league in receiving yards and touchdowns among wide receivers in his first season, earning Rookie of the Year honors.[1][3] In 2002, Wong again led all receivers in touchdowns and was named the Offensive Player of the Year.[1][3]

Wong was also a three-time selection to the Aztec Bowl, where he represented the Mexican All-Stars against a team of NCAA Division III All-Stars.[1] He scored his team's only touchdown in the 2002 game, which was held in his hometown of Torreón.[1] The following year, Wong was a part of the team that defeated the NCAA Division III All-Stars for the first time in Aztec Bowl history.[1] Additionally, he was chosen to play in the 2002 Friendship Bowl against a team from Japan, catching a touchdown pass from Ignacio Valdéz in the 27–24 loss.[4]

Wong studied international trade at ITESM Laguna.[5]

Professional career

Wong was signed by the Dallas Desperados of the Arena Football League (AFL) in December 2003 after a tryout in Mexico.[6][7] However, he was waived in February 2004 as part of the final round of cuts, days before their season opener.[7]

Wong was signed by the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe (NFLE) ahead of the 2006 season.[8] He was one of seven Mexican players signed by NFLE teams after participating in a training camp in Tampa, Florida, with other international prospects.[8] In the season opener, Wong caught a 45-yard touchdown pass from fellow receiver Chris Samp as part of a trick play on the Fire's first play from scrimmage, helping them defeat the Frankfurt Galaxy 10–6.[9] He appeared in five games for the Fire, catching three passes for 77 yards and one touchdown,[10] before he was traded to the Frankfurt Galaxy midseason while recovering from a quad injury.[5] Wong helped the Galaxy reach the league championship game, World Bowl XIV, where they defeated the Amsterdam Admirals 22–7 to win their fourth title in franchise history.[11]

At the conclusion of a 2007 international minicamp, Wong was assigned to the Hamburg Sea Devils, returning to NFL Europe for a second season.[12] He recorded one catch for 11 yards in the regular season, as well as one catch for 26 yards in World Bowl XV as the Sea Devils defeated the Frankfurt Galaxy 37–28 for the title.[12]

Wong joined the New York Jets training camp in July 2007 via an NFL Europe roster exemption, signing a free agent deal upon his arrival.[12][13] After seeing limited playing time in the preseason, Wong was waived by the Jets on August 27 to reach the 75-man roster limit.[14][15]

In 2014, Wong played with Olmecas Premier in the semi-professional Futbol Americano Asociacion (FAMA) league in Mexico. He aided the team to an appearance in the championship game, where they lost to Tigres Oro SSP, led by former Águilas Blancas IPN quarterback Raúl Mateos.[16]

National team career

Wong was called up to the Mexico national team ahead of the 2003 IFAF World Championship held in Germany.[17] He helped Mexico reach the championship game against Japan, where he caught a touchdown pass from Juan Zamora, but Mexico lost 34–14 and settled for the silver medal.[18]

Coaching career

Wong began coaching in 2009, serving as the wide receivers coach for UVM Torreón juvenile (18 and under) team.[1] He was promoted to offensive coordinator the following year before another promotion to head coach the year after that.[1] Wong served as the team's head coach for three seasons and guided them to two CEFAN championships.[1]

Wong took his first job in ONEFA when he was hired as the wide receivers coach for the Borregos Salvajes by head coach Carlos Altamirano in 2017, who he knew personally.[19]

In February 2021, Wong was hired as the head coach of the ITESM Laguna juvenile team.[20][21]

References
  1. "Equipos Primera Fuerza 2019 | Borregos Salvajes del ITESM Campus Monterrey" (in Spanish). CONADEIP. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  2. Kider, Teddy (29 July 2007). "N.F.L. Looks to Bolster Pipeline Beyond Border". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 26 November 2022. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  3. "De Torreón a Nueva York". ESPN Argentina (in Spanish). 20 July 2007. Archived from the original on 9 June 2023. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  4. "El representativo de Japón se adjudicó el Tazón de la Amistad". La Jornada (in Spanish). 17 March 2002. Archived from the original on 8 June 2023. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  5. Del Río, Abril (25 May 2006). "Juan Wong, listo para la final de la NFL Europa, este sábado en Dusseldorf". La Jornada (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 7 June 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  6. "Misc. Transactions". The Victoria Advocate. 25 December 2003. p. 21. Retrieved 7 June 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. Andro, Anthony (3 February 2004). "Desperados waive QB along with eight others". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. p. 42. Retrieved 7 June 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Listo Wong para debutar en la NFL Europa". El Siglo de Torreón (in Spanish). 16 March 2006. Archived from the original on 8 June 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  9. "Cowboys' Henson part of winning effort". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. 19 March 2006. p. 40. Retrieved 8 June 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Juan Wong". ProFootballArchives. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  11. "Se corona mexicano en NFL Europa". El Siglo de Durango (in Spanish). 28 May 2006. Archived from the original on 8 June 2023. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  12. "Europa WR Wong Added" (Press release). New York Jets. 16 July 2007. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  13. Vázquez Frayre, Humberto (17 July 2007). "Juan Wong se queda en Jets". El Siglo de Torreón (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 June 2023. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  14. "Jets release WR Tim Dwight, 7 others" (Press release). National Football League. 27 August 2007. Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  15. Aburto, Ivis (31 August 2007). "Dan de baja a Juan Wong y Ramiro Pruneda en la NFL". Arizona Daily Star (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 9 June 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  16. Hernández, Francisco (5 August 2014). "Mexico: Tigres Oro SSP Win Inaugural FAMA 'Gran Final' 2014". American Football International. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  17. "Juan Wong, seleccionado nacional". El Siglo de Torreón (in Spanish). 20 June 2003. Archived from the original on 8 June 2023. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  18. "World Cup 2003 | Second World Cup triumph for Japan". american-football-japan.com. Archived from the original on 5 December 2007. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  19. Fernández, Enrique (24 June 2017). "Juan Wong, Cumple su sueño" (in Spanish). CONADEIP. Archived from the original on 24 August 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  20. "Juan Wong regresa a casa para comandar a los Borregos Laguna". Máximo Avance (in Spanish). 26 February 2021. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  21. Vázquez Frayre, Humberto (27 February 2021). "Juan Wong toma las riendas de Borregos Salvajes Laguna". El Siglo Coahuila (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 June 2023. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
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