World class football player Manuel Padilla receives O-1 visa
World class football player Manuel Padilla receives O-1 visa
We are extremely proud to announce that yet another successful O-1 petition! We successfully petitioned for a O-1 visa for Manuel Padilla Pontvianne aka Manuel Padilla, a World Class Football Player.
Managing Member of the firm, Sherrod Seward successfully presented the petition proving eligibility on many counts for the O-1 visa, as a World Class Football Player to USCIS. He provided as many documents as possible for each of the criteria satisfied by the athlete.
The Athlete
Mr. Padilla is an outstanding football player, who has achieved extraordinary success in the world of football. He is a recognized professional NFL player with over a decade of experience as a revered defensive linebacker. He is also an award-winning coach.
The Petitioner
Founded in Downey, California by John Corona and his friend in 2015, Vive El Fut LLC is an international clothing line for football fans. VEF is an embodiment of a modern lifestyle brand for football enthusiasts worldwide. The company’s mission is to bring the luxurious lifestyle of extraordinary athletes within arm’s reach of everyone that works hard to live the dream.
Vive El Fút translates to "Live Soccer" in English. The company shares its love for the beautiful sport of soccer, a wonderful game that unites the world in celebration every 4 years. The passion and love for soccer that brings all ethnicities together is powerful and worldwide. VEF represents those characteristics, and their goal is to depict that through their clothing line.
The O-1 Petition
We demonstrated that Vive El Fút LLC, the petitioner, would like to extend the O-1 status upon the beneficiary, whom they consider to be an exceptionally talented football player.
In the petition, we showcased the world-class excellence of the beneficiary. The O-1 visa requires that we provide evidence of the athlete meeting at least 3 out of 10 criteria. We established that the beneficiary is highly deserving of this visa, by providing evidence for 6 criteria:
I. Internationally-recognised Awards
We proved that the beneficiary is a person of extraordinary ability in the field of Football by showcasing his awards. The following are some of the most prestigious international honors and awards won by him:
Most Valuable Player, Aztec Bowl
Mr. Padilla was named “Most Valuable Player Defensive” as a defensive linebacker for three years as a member of the National Football Team in Mexico in the Aztec Bowl. The Aztec Bowl is an annual American college football game in Mexico governed by the ONEFA (Organización Nacional Estudiantil de Fútbol Americano – National Student Organization of American Football). The players that play in this event are all ONEFA college all-stars which means that Mr. Padilla was one of the top players in college football in Mexico in order to be chosen to play in this championship. We included documentation supporting Mr. Padilla’s award of MVP and details about the Aztec Bowl.
2. NFL Pathway Program
NFL Pathway Program is a program designed by the National Football League to increase the number of non-American and non-Canadian players in the NFL. This program choses sixty-five of the most talented players in the world out of 5,000 applicants to participate in international NFL training camps in London, Seville and Barcelona. Mr. Padilla was one of ten chosen finalists and one of few Mexican nationals ever to attend an NFL training camp and one of the first Mexican players to play in the NFL. We included the testimonial letter from a Sports Broadcaster and former professional NFL player to confirm this prestigious invitation.
3. First Worldwide Mexican Football Player to go from a Mexican College to the NFL
In 2008 while attending Monterey Tech, Mr. Padilla was drafted by the NFL team the Denver Broncos as defensive linebacker making him the first Mexican player to go from a Mexican college (not a US college) straight to the National Football League. Given that only approximately .03% of Latino nationals make it to the NFL, this is indeed extraordinary. We included numerous lauding letters to confirm his essential role and press coverage to support this distinction.
II. Memberships in prestigious organizations
To strengthen the petition, we proved that the athlete is part of teams which require outstanding achievements of their members. We included extensive documents and supporting letters for each of the following. The petition also included documents about the associations/organizations so as to bring out their prestige and stature.
NFL Players Association
The NFL Player’s Association is the distinguished labor union representing National Football League (NFL) players. The NFLPA, which has headquarters in Washington, D.C. is led by President J.C. Tretter and executive director DeMaurice Smith. Founded in 1956, the NFLPA is the second-oldest labor union of the four major professional sports leagues. Mr. Padilla has been a member of this prestigious organization since 2008. We pointed out in the petition that in order to be a member of this organization, one must be a National Football League Player (NFL), as well as meet other criteria, making it a highly commendable recognition. The National Football League (NFL) is the premiere and governing body of professional football in the United States.
2. Coach, Football Team, Universidad Del Valle De México
Universidad Del Valle De México (UVM) is a leading private multicampus university founded in 1960 and one of the largest university systems in Mexico. UVM has more than 200,000 alumni and offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs on 38 campuses throughout Mexico. Fourteen UVM athletes participated in the 2012 London Olympics (out of 100 participants in the Mexican delegation), received 3 out of the 4 medals earned by Mexico in the 2012 London Olympics and sixteen UVM athletes attended the 2015 Pan American Games at Toronto. They won 14 medals: 4 golds, 5 silvers, and 5 bronze medals. Mr. Padilla served in the essential capacity of Coach for their football team in 2009 and under his leadership, the team won many laurels.
3. Coach, Rolando Cantu Training Camps
Rolando Cantu Training Camp is a football training camp in Baja, California founded by former professional NFL player Rolando Cantu (Arizona Cardinals). The camp has become one of the premiere training camps for players who wish to play in the NFL. In fact, several of the athletes trained here have gone on to attend NFL training camps and later play with the NFL. Some of the legendary professionals NFL players who have coached here include Larry Fitzgerald, Dennis Green, Milford Brown, Deuce Lutui, Troy Walters, among other professional players. Mr. Padilla has served and will continue to serve as a coach for this highly regarded training camp.
4. Linebacker, ONEFA (National Student Organization Of American Football)
ONEFA is the major college football league in Mexico equivalent to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States. Today ONEFA is formed by 100 teams divided into four categories throughout Mexico. The most important one is the Major League. Mr. Padilla has served in the essential capacity of linebacker for the ONEFA Major League and was named “Defensive Most Valuable Player” in 2007.
5. Coach, Halcones Mexicali
Halcones Mexicali is a recognized football team in Mexicali, Baja, California. Club Halcones was the first Mexican team accepted into the Pop Warner American Football League, as well as being the only Mexican team to represent the Wescon region in the Pop Warner Super Bowl qualifying four times and obtaining the Div. II in December 2006 (Midget category). Mr. Padilla served as a coach for this award-winning team which won the Pop Warner Super Bowl in 2010 under his leadership.
6. Head Coach, Junior Varsity Team, Vincent Memorial High School
Vincent Memorial High School is one of the preeminent Catholic Schools in California. Their athletic program consists of a football program titled the Scots. Mr. Padilla has served in the essential role of Head Coach for the Junior Varsity team which won the 2012 Manzanita League Championships.
7. Defensive Coordinator/Athletic Trainer, Football Team, Calexico High School
Calexico High School is a leading public high school located in Calexico, California with over three thousand students. Mr. Padilla was commissioned to serve as defensive coordinator / athletic trainer in 2014 for their football team the Bulldogs.
The supporting evidence for each of the above helped prove the high level of excellence required to be a member of these teams.
III. Internationally - recognized publications
The firm established that Mr. Padilla was featured in numerous publications of international repute, testifying to his exceptional talent and incredible career. We provided the title, date, and author of the title. We also submitted an abstract of the articles to give a preview of the contents of the articles, along with notes on the wide viewership of the articles.
The articles included in the petition were from the following illustrious publications:
Youtube.com features Mr. Padilla on the Youtube channel Pigskin Pick’em as a special guest; October 29, 2020;
Viewership statistics for Youtube.com - (185,006,338,200 yearly views);
Elimparcial.com article features Mr. Padilla, “They will reward the best of American Football”, Jorge Lopez, October 11, 2020,
Readership statistics - (110,696 yearly views);
Deporte.unam.mx article features Mr. Padilla with bio, “DGDU – Mexico the Rival to Beat in the Senior American Football World Cup”, Unam Staff, July 29, 2011
Readership statistics - (181,991,190 yearly views);
Maximoavance.com article features Mr. Padilla, “15 Players Invited to Sweden 2015”, Staff Maximum Advancement, September 19, 2013;
Readership statistics - (460,630 yearly views);
Tackleo.com article features Mr. Padilla, “The Broncos Practice Team has a Mexican Flavor”, Source Articles, December 31, 2015;
Readership statistics - (143,810 yearly views);
Denverpost.com article features Mr. Padilla, “Broncos Waive 6 Players”, Associated Press, June 13, 2008;
Readership statistics - (146,839,135 yearly views);
Youtube.com features Mr. Padilla on the Youtube channel Pigskin Pick’em as a special guest; October 29, 2020;
Viewership statistics for Youtube.com - (185,006,338,200 yearly views);
Mexicallisport.com article features Mr. Padilla, “The Mexicali Sport Awards are Approaching the Best of American Football”, Mexicali Sport, June 2, 2017;
Readership statistics - (104,025 yearly views);
Peoplepill.com write-up features Mr. Padilla, “Press Release Buzz – “About Manuel Padilla: Mexican Player of American Football”, People Pill;
Readership / viewership statistics - (11,461,000 yearly views);
Espndeportes.espn.com article features Mr. Padilla, “Octavio Gonzalez, between the dream of the NFL and the 2015 Senior World Cup”, Luis Miguesl Vasavilbaso, July 4, 2015,
Readership / viewership statistics – (2,312,281,205 yearly views);
Nfl.com features Mr. Padilla as a player with the Denver Broncos;
Readership Statistics - (200,246,300 yearly views);
Lavozdelafrontera.mx (The Voice newspaper) article features Mr. Padilla (shown in photo), “They will recognize Manuel Padilla”, Jorge Gomez, February 5, 2020;
Readership statistics - (2,563,760 yearly views);
IV. Performances in a leading or critical role for organizations with a distinguished reputation
We included evidence of the following critical roles played by the athlete in organizations with a distinguished reputation.
Mexican National Football Team
The Mexican National Football Team represents Mexico in international American football competitions. The team is controlled by the Mexican American Football Federation. Mexico has participated in competitions such as the Aztec Bowl, the IFAF World Cup and the IFAF Junior World Cup. It is the equivalent to the National Football League (NFL) in the United States. Mr. Padilla was chosen to play on this major league team where he played for three years in numerous competitions including three Aztec Bowls where he garnered “Mexico’s Most Valuable Player”.
2. NFL’s Denver Broncos
NFL’s Denver Broncos is a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquartered in Dove Valley, Colorado. Mr. Padilla was recruited to play with the Broncos as Defensive Linebacker due to his extraordinary abilities as a football player. We included the invitation letter from the legal counsel for the Denver Broncos to confirm this outstanding distinction, while also providing information about the Denver Broncos.
3. NFL Players Association
The NFL’s Players Association is the union for professional football players in the National Football League. In order to become a member, you must first be an NFL player which in and of itself is a part of an elite group of athletes. Only .08 % of athletes will become NFL drafts and in the Latin community less than .03. In fact, Mr. Padilla was the first Mexican player to go from a university to the NFL as a recruit. Our evidence included proof of the athlete’s membership as well as information about the NFLPA.
4. National Football League
The National Football League is the premiere professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference and the American Football Conference. An athlete has reached the pinnacle of their career if they are drafted to the NFL. Some of the prestigious teams in the NFL include the Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, among others. Mr. Padilla was drafted into the NFL to play defensive linebacker for the Denver Broncos in 2008. Only .08 % of athletes will become NFL drafts and in the Latino community less than .03 %. In fact, Mr. Padilla was the first Mexican player to go from a university to the NFL as a recruit.
5. ONEFA (National Student Organization Of American Football)
ONEFA (Organización Nacional Estudiantil de Fútbol Americano – National Student Organization of American Football) is the governing body for the major college football in Mexico. It is the equivalent of the NCAA in the United States for college football. As an exceptional Player and member of the Mexican National Football Team, Mr. Padilla garnered membership into this distinguished organization that governs major college football in Mexico and was named “Mexico’s Most Valuable Player” in the Aztec Bowl one of the major competitions of the ONEFA.
Our petition included letters from people of impeccable standing, lauding the athlete for the above honors. We also shared details about each organization and proof of their reputation.
V. Participation as a judge
We proved that Mr. Padilla is known throughout the international football industry as not only a revered defensive linebacker, but also an award-winning coach. His essential roles with the NFL, ONEFA, the Mexican National Football Team and other collegiate and high school teams, has garnered him leading roles with distinguished teams and athletic departments, as well as internationally recognized training camps for the NFL Pathway Program with renowned players such as Rolando Cantu.
Athletic Trainer for Monterrey Tech High School (2002 – 2006);
Head Coach of the Junior Varsity football team for Vincent Memorial High School (2010);
Defensive Coordinator / Athletic Trainer for Calexico High School (2014);
Coaching Staff Member for the Mexican National Team World Cup Under Nineteen;
Head Coach for the Halcones Mexicali in the Pop Warner Football League (2012, 2018 and 2019);
Coach for the Rolando Cantu Training Camps (Baja and Sonoma California);
VI. Evidence of exhibitions and showcases of the athlete’s work as a player and coach
We put forth that, in the sports industry, the games and competitions played to a live audience, exhibited and showcased on online venues such as ESPN or other sports centric networks, are all exhibitions of an athlete’s work. This holds true of the following Games, Championships and Training Camps where Mr. Padilla’s work has been exhibited/showcased:
National Football League games and championships (Player);
Azteca Bowl; (Player)
Monterrey Tech High School games (Coach);
Vincent Memorial High School games (Coach);
Calexico High School games (Coach);
National Mexican Football Team World Cup Under 19 (Coach);
Halcones Mexicali Pop Warner Super Bowl and other games (Coach);
Imperial Valley County Semi-Pro Team games and championships (Player);
Arizona Cardinals Football Clinics (Coach);
ONEFA League in Mexico (Player);
Prepa Tec High School games and championships (Coach);
Denver Broncos NFL games and championships (Player);
National Mexican Football Team American World Championships in Canton, Ohio and Austria, Germany, as well as other games and championships (Player);
NFL Training Camps in Barcelona, London and Seville (Player);
Rolando Cantu Training Camps in Baja and Sonoma California (Coach);
The numerous championships, training camps, and games where Mr. Padilla served in the essential capacity of coach, defensive coordinator and player were showcased as exhibitions of his work and the result of his work shown. We also provided details of the background for some of the most distinguished organizations.
Along with all the above evidence, we included multiple letters from experts supporting and confirming critical details of the petition. These experts are highly accomplished and are/were in a position to observe and comment on the ability of the beneficiary. The petition included excerpts from the letters in each section as necessary.
Thus, we provided clear and persuasive evidence that the athlete meets multiple criteria and qualifies for the O-1A visa. We, therefore, successfully demonstrated that he is unambiguously qualified to be classified as a O-1 athlete of Extraordinary Ability.
For more information on how we help support professional athletes and coaches with O-1 and P-1 visas, please contact our offices at 310-209-8545.