UNM senior right tackle Teton Saltes ended his decorated career with the Lobos on Saturday Night with an upset win over the Fresno State Bulldogs at Sam Boyd Stadium. Considering the Lobos are the only team in FBS history to practice and play all of their games outside of their home state, it was quite a feat for Saltes and the Lobos to finish with a pair of wins against Wyoming and Fresno State.
Overcoming adversity and challenges is nothing new for Saltes. In addition to playing football for the Lobos, Saltes graduated with a political science degree and is currently working on a master’s program and an eventual law degree at UNM’s law school.
He is also an active member of his community and an advocate for change. Representing his home reservation in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, Saltes spoke with members of Congress in 2019 as a student ambassador for Save the Children Advocacy Network.
Saltes also volunteers his time helping his community on mental health and suicide prevention measures and spoke to members of the New Mexico Legislation regarding mental health initiations for student-athletes. In addition, Saltes volunteers as a Suicide Prevention Hotline peer mentor.
A 2018 and 2019 Mountain West All-Academic selection, Saltes is the definition of a student-athlete who goes above and beyond on and off the field.
For his stellar work on the field and in his community, Saltes has been named team captain for the prestigious Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and will be honored at the Allstate Sugar Bowl and The Home Depot College Football Awards on January 7th, 2021.
The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team was established in 1992 by the College Football Association to recognize extra efforts by players and student support staff off the field.
Saltes is the first Lobo to be nominated to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and the first to be named Team Captain.
It is a well-deserved honor for Saltes, who intends on completing his law degree and plans on working for social justice and equality, specializing in constitutional law.
