[1] He grew up a fan of the Dallas Cowboys, watching games with his father on television as the NFL has begun broadcasting in the country.
He played various sports including American football with neighborhood friends as well as Pop Warner, which Cantú says is taken seriously in Mexico.
[2] He always was bigger than other kids his age, and had to show his birth certificate when signing up for baseball and football teams because of his size.
In school, he was on the team in junior high but did not originally plan on a career in sports, figuring to work for his father.
Cantú replied that he wanted to earn money to buy a car, but the coach did not accept this, ordering him to practice that very day.
[1] Instead, Cantú accepted a scholarship to play college football at the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Studies in Mexico, a member of the ONEFA.
In the spring and summer of 2001, he trained with their team with the aim of playing NCAA Division II football in the fall.
With age and experience, Cantu finds it curious and even a little regrettable to take that offer over colleges in the United States.
[6] The day after the Berlin Thunder won the World Bowl XII, he signed with the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL.
[9] was with the team two season, 2005 and 2006,[10] Cantu made his first and only NFL game appearance on January 1, 2006, against the Indianapolis Colts.
[2][5][13] He has provided commentary not only on Cardinals’ games but also various Super Bowls and he helped to build the NFL's Spanish Radio Network.
[2][13][17] He serves as a quasi-ambassador for the Cardinals and the rest of the NFL in Mexico, using his contacts in Mexican universities to scout for talent.
[2] He does not regret pursuing the NFL or the shift into the business side of football since the injury, stating “I feel blessed.”[1]