| José Carlos Maltos | |
| Number: | 72 |
| Current Team: | Montreal Alouettes |
| Position: | Placekicker |
| Birth Date: | 18 August 1991 |
| Birth Place: | Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico |
| Height Ft: | 5 |
| Height In: | 10 |
| Weight Lbs: | 221 |
| College: | UANL |
| Cfldraftyear: | 2019 LFA |
| Cfldraftround: | 1 |
| Cfldraftpick: | 2 |
| Undraftedyear: | 2013 |
| Status: | Active |
| Highlights: | |
| Cflstatus: | Global |
| Pastteams: |
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| Cfl: | jose-maltos/164178/ |
José Carlos Maltos Díaz (born August 18, 1991) is a Mexican professional gridiron football placekicker for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Redblacks selected him second overall in the 2019 CFL–LFA Draft.[1] He was originally signed by the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL) in 2013, but was released following training camp. He played college football for UANL.
Maltos was born in Monterrey, Mexico, on August 18, 1991. He grew up playing soccer, but began to play American football at the age of 16 in Monterrey.[2] [3]
Maltos was a kicker for Auténticos Tigres UANL at the Autonomous University of Nuevo León, where he studied mechanical engineering.[4] He was chosen to play in the Aztec Bowl.[5] Maltos was later named to the ONEFA Liga Mayor Team of the Decade for the 2010s by Mundo del Ovoide.[6]
After working out in front of NFL scouts at Southern Methodist University, Maltos was signed by the New Orleans Saints in May 2013.[2] He was released by the team in early August.[5] [7]
Maltos spent three seasons in the LFA with the Fundidores Monterrey from 2017 to 2019.
Maltos was signed as a free agent by the BC Lions on May 18, 2018.[8] He played in two pre-season games before being released at the end of training camp.
After the CFL mandated that teams carry Global players, Maltos was drafted 2nd overall in the 2019 CFL–LFA Draft and returned to Canada to play for the Ottawa Redblacks. He dressed in his first CFL game on June 15, 2019, against the Calgary Stampeders, as a backup placekicker and punter. He dressed in ten games in 2019, but did not play in 2020 due to the cancellation of the 2020 CFL season. He re-signed with the Redblacks on January 13, 2021.[9] He spent the next two years mostly on the practice roster, dressing in one game in the 2022 season, and was not re-signed following the 2022 season.[10] [11]
On December 9, 2022, Maltos signed with the Montreal Alouettes.[10] In 2023, he played in his first game as a CFL team's primary placekicker on October 9, 2023, where he made two of four field goal attempts and all three convert attempts, in a game against the Ottawa Redblacks.[12] In the next game, on October 14, 2023, he was five-for-five on field goal attempts, including a long of 50 yards.[12] He played in those two regular season games in 2023 where he finished seven-for-nine on field goal attempts and five-for-six on convert attempts.[11] With incumbent placekicker, David Côté, healthy, Maltos returned to the practice roster where he remained while the Alouettes defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 110th Grey Cup game.
Maltos re-signed with the Alouettes on December 15, 2023.[13] He again began the season on the practice roster, but was pressed into action on July 6, 2024, following an injury to Côté.[14] He had his first perfect game as he connected on all three field goal attempts and his only convert attempt.[12]
Maltos represented the Mexico national team at the 2011 IFAF World Championship held in Austria, where he kicked a 56-yard field goal in a win over Australia to break the record for longest field goal in World Championship history.[2] He was named the best kicker of the tournament.[2] Maltos was later a part of the team that finished in third place at the 2015 IFAF World Championship.[15]