When you talk about kickers in the NFL, you're usually discussing the guys who stayed with one team for fifteen years and became local legends. Jose Cortez wasn't that guy.
He was a nomad. A specialist. A guy who packed his bags more often than most people change their oil. Honestly, if you looked up "journeyman" in a football dictionary, you'd probably see a photo of him in one of the ten different NFL jerseys he wore during his career.
But there is a lot more to the story of Jose Cortez football player than just a long list of transactions. He didn't just hop from team to team; he was a pioneer.
A Long Road from San Vicente
He was born in San Vicente, El Salvador, in 1975. Think about that for a second. The NFL isn't exactly crawling with Salvadoran talent. In fact, Cortez was the first Salvadoran to ever play in the league.
He didn't even grow up playing American football. He was a soccer kid. He arrived in the United States at 15, fleeing a civil war. He didn't speak a word of English when he started at Van Nuys High School.
He was a goalkeeper. It wasn't until his senior year that he even tried out for the football team. From there, it was a grind through the junior college system at Los Angeles Valley College before he eventually landed at Oregon State.
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The XFL MVP and the 49ers Break
The path to the NFL wasn't a straight line. After going undrafted in 1999, he bounced around practice squads and NFL Europe. Most guys would have quit. Most guys would have gone and gotten a "real job" by 2000.
Then came the XFL.
In 2001, playing for the Los Angeles Xtreme, Cortez finally found his rhythm. He didn't just play; he dominated. He led the league in scoring. He was the MVP of the "Million Dollar Game," the league's championship.
That performance got him a ticket back to the big show. The San Francisco 49ers signed him, and for a while, it looked like he’d finally found a home.
In 2001, he was the guy. He played all 16 games. He scored 101 points. He hit a 52-yarder. He was perfect on extra points. But the life of a kicker is volatile. One week you’re the hero, the next you’re on a Greyhound bus to a new city.
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Why he was always on the move
People often ask why a guy with his leg strength couldn't stay in one place. It basically came down to consistency and timing.
Cortez was often the "injury insurance" guy. If a star kicker like David Akers or Joe Nedney went down, GMs knew they could call Jose. He was a professional. He could show up on a Tuesday, learn the snapper's rhythm by Thursday, and put points on the board on Sunday.
He played for the Browns, Chargers, Giants, 49ers, Redskins, Vikings, Cowboys, Eagles, and Colts. That is a lot of frequent flyer miles.
- San Francisco 49ers (2001–2002): His most stable period.
- Washington Redskins (2002): A mid-season replacement.
- Minnesota Vikings (2003–2004): Mostly used for kickoffs.
- The 2005 Carousel: He played for four different teams in a single season (Cowboys, Eagles, 49ers again, and Colts).
It sounds exhausting. Imagine having four different locker combinations and four different playbooks in five months.
Life After the Goalposts
When the phone stopped ringing in 2006, Cortez headed back to Oregon. He didn't go into coaching or broadcasting. He became a state trooper.
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He graduated from the Oregon State Police Academy in 2007. It seemed like a solid second act. A former pro athlete serving the community.
Unfortunately, that chapter didn't end well. In 2013, he was fired and sentenced to a week in jail for official misconduct following a traffic stop. It was a messy, public fall from grace that overshadowed a lot of what he had achieved on the field.
What We Can Learn From the Career of Jose Cortez
Despite the legal troubles later in life, his football journey is a masterclass in persistence. He played in four different leagues: the NFL, the XFL, NFL Europe, and the Arena Football League.
He proved that you don't need a blue-chip pedigree to make it to the highest level. You just need a leg and the willingness to say "yes" whenever a team calls at 2:00 AM.
If you are looking to understand the reality of the NFL "fringe" player, study Cortez. He wasn't a superstar, but for a few years, he was one of the few dozen people on the planet capable of doing a very high-pressure job.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Aspiring Athletes:
- Look beyond the NFL: Cortez used the XFL to prove his worth. If you aren't getting looks in the primary league, find a secondary one to build your film.
- Specialization is a career saver: Being a kickoff specialist kept Cortez employed even when his field goal percentage dipped.
- The "Journeyman" label isn't a Pecking Order: Playing for 10 teams means 10 different coaching staffs saw value in you. That's a badge of honor, not a sign of failure.
- Character matters post-career: Professional success doesn't grant immunity in the real world. Maintaining the same discipline required in pro sports is vital after the jersey is retired.
You can still find his stats on old 49ers rosters or in XFL history books. He remains a unique footnote in the history of the game—the kid from El Salvador who kicked his way across America.