For Zendejas Family, It’s a Time to Celebrate

Things got a little bit crazy at the Zendejas Family Restaurant in Chino Sunday afternoon. That’s where Tony Zendejas’ parents, Genaro and Ninfa Zendejas, and most of his six brothers and three sisters watched the Houston Oilers’ 23-20 overtime playoff victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

There were about 150 patrons at the restaurant, and when Zendejas kicked his game-winning 42-yard field goal, the place erupted.

“It was wild,” said Genaro Zendejas Jr., one of Tony’s brothers. “Everyone was screaming. My mom cried.”

It was a round of drinks for the house--a double for those who wanted one.

“We were going to give everyone a drink if the Oilers won,” said Genaro Zendejas. “But after Tony’s kick, we said, ‘Make it a double.’ ”

The wild celebration was contrasted by complete silence about 10 minutes earlier, when Tony missed what would have been a 29-yard field-goal with 1:47 left in regulation.

Genaro, Tony’s father who speaks only Spanish, was asked for a reaction. With his son, Genaro Jr., serving as an interpreter, he said: “It was very exciting, particularly since he had missed the one kick.”

There is also a Zendejas restaurant in San Dimas, and Tony is the main owner of this one. But the crowd there was small, only about a dozen people.

The group, however, included Javier Zendejas, another brother of Tony’s, and Javier’s wife Hope.

At this restaurant, there was free champagne. Hope Zendejas, asked if Javier could come to the phone, said: “I think he’s already had too much champagne.”

Although all of Tony’s brothers have played soccer, only one, Martin, is a field-goal kicker, for Nevada Reno.

Tony’s cousin, Max Zendejas, formerly of Arizona State and the Washington Redskins, now kicks for the Green Bay Packers. Luis, another cousin, also kicked for Arizona State and was with the Dallas Cowboys during the strike, and yet another cousin, Joaquin, kicked for the University of La Verne and had a tryout with the San Diego Chargers.

Hope Zendejas said Martin was supposed to come to the San Dimas restaurant. “He decided he couldn’t leave the TV and stayed home (in Rowland Heights),” she said.