NAU Football Hispanic Heritage Game Tickets
Long before
Francisco Orduno Jr. was kicking footballs through the uprights in Flagstaff, he was kicking soccer balls across dirt fields in Mexicali, Mexico.
Orduno started playing soccer at 3 years old. For a decade, it was his sport, his routine and one of the biggest parts of his childhood. He played center back and midfield, often on dirt fields with friends and family at his side.
At 13, his path changed.
Friends convinced Orduno to try American football. He initially played receiver, but when a coach asked whether anyone could kick, Orduno stepped forward.
Often tasked with free kicks and penalty kicks on the pitch, his soccer background had already given him confidence in his leg. What began as an experiment became an opportunity.
A true freshman at NAU, Orduno is the Lumberjacks' starting kicker.
This Saturday, he will take the field against No. 2/3 Montana during NAU's annual Hispanic Heritage Game. Playing a significant role as a true freshman is one thing, but for someone who left his home country at 16 to chase the sport he only discovered, a few years prior, Saturday will carry a larger meaning.
"It means the world to me," Orduno said of representing his Hispanic heritage on the field. "I'm just trying to do it for the city, do it for Mexicali, do it for Mexico."
For Orduno, getting to this point required more than developing a powerful leg. It required leaving behind nearly everything he was ever familiar with.
Orduno grew up in Mexicali, directly on the border between the U.S. and Mexico, with his parents and two sisters. He describes his childhood as a good one, built around family activities, soccer and close relationships. His parents remain in Mexico, and Orduno said leaving them was the hardest part of his journey so far.
Orduno's personal kicking coach, Alex Zendejas Jr., helped open the door.
Orduno had begun attending kicking clinics in Arizona after someone in Mexico recommended that he develop his ability in the U.S. After seeing him kick, Zendejas connected Orduno with Mountain Pointe High School in Ahwatukee with confidence that Orduno had a future in college football.
His parents were hesitant. Orduno had planned to attend a school in California near the border, but the opportunity to play football in Arizona was "too good" to pass up.
"It took them a couple days to answer," Orduno recalled. "But they were like, yeah, we can't answer for you. It's your life."
With his parents' approval, Orduno moved in with his aunt in Arizona. The support was there, but the adjustment was still difficult.
"I felt lonely," he admitted.
He was 16 years old, attending a new school in a different country and learning to navigate life without any immediate family nearby. He recalls sleepless nights and moments when he questioned whether he had made the right decision.
However, football kept him going, as did his family.
Orduno explained that the move forced him to mature quickly. He learned independence and responsibility while continuing to call his parents frequently to make sure everything was fine back home.
Those lessons remain connected to the way he approaches football and life.
His father taught him to work hard, respect himself and others, stay responsible and remain resilient. He also makes sure that Orduno stays connected to where he came from.
When Orduno visits his family in Mexico, his father insists that he speak Spanish.
"Remember your roots," his father tells him. "Remember where you came from. Always be humble."
That connection is not limited to language.
Even in Arizona, Orduno had reminders of Mexico. His aunt regularly cooked Mexican food for him, including his grandmother's enchiladas, and his parents still bring him tortillas when they visit. Orduno even recently learned how to make traditional carne asada from his father.
His heritage also gives him a sense of responsibility when he steps onto the field.
Orduno said that he receives calls and messages from relatives and friends in Mexico, including people he has not spoken with since elementary or middle school. They are supporting him in his journey from afar.
The returns are early, but Orduno's story is proving to himself that taking the chance was worth it. At Mountain Pointe, Orduno earned two All-City first team selections and converted over 70% of his field-goal attempts during three high school seasons, with a career-long 60-yard field goal.
His leg has also quickly translated to the college level. Through six games, Orduno has made four field goals, including a 55-yarder against UIW, and has recorded 31 touchbacks on 32 kickoffs. Orduno's 55-yard field goal last month was the second-longest by an NAU kicker since 2000, only behind former Lumberjack Luis Aguilar, also of Hispanic heritage.
Orduno explained that the biggest adjustment since getting to NAU has been confidence. For a kicker, he said, the mental side is just as important, if not more, than the physical mechanics.
"You just have to believe in yourself," he said, smiling. "You've got to be delusional."
That mentality has carried him from soccer fields in Mexicali to football fields in Arizona and now a Division I program.
His journey has also given him an example to pass on.
Orduno hopes that sharing his story can encourage other Hispanic and Mexican athletes to take opportunities when they appear and make the most of them.
Another opportunity arises on Saturday for Orduno, this time with his heritage at center stage.
For Orduno, the nationally-ranked matchup against Montana is not simply a chance to split the uprights, help NAU win or continue his strong start to his collegiate career. It is an opportunity to represent his home that shaped him, his family that supported his decision and the country that remains a defining part of who he is.
When he looks back at the 16-year-old facing a decision to leave the world that he knew behind, Orduno knows the advice he would give himself now.
"Believe in yourself. Take chances. Take that opportunity."
