QB Diego Cohen
2015 National Team of Panama
Position: QB #7
Primary Playing Career Position: QB
Age: 35 years
Height: 6'0
Weight: 180 pds
City: Panama City
Football Idol: Dan Marino
2015 National Team of Panama
Position: QB #7
Primary Playing Career Position: QB
Age: 35 years
Height: 6'0
Weight: 180 pds
City: Panama City
Football Idol: Dan Marino
What sparked your interest in American Football?
“Our father, who had previously studied in the States, taught my younger brother and me US style sports from a very young age. We became attached to them. My brother is presently the QB for the National Flag Team of Panama. Also from a young age I watched a lot of American Football on TV so I became familiar with it early on.”
Football Career History:
• 1993 - Started playing on the Kiwanis Kolts team, in the Kiwanis junior varsity league.
* 1994 - Played QB and randomly Free Safety for Kiwanis Kolts. Won MVP.
• 1995 to 97 - Played QB on the Panthers varsity team.
Fact: 1997 Panthers team went undefeated and won the varsity championship. It was the first time a Panamanian varsity team won a championship taking into consideration the varsity league was comprised of both Panamanian player teams and US player dominated teams.
• 1997 - After the varsity championship went on to play in the contact open league 18+.
• 1998 to 2001 - Played on the university team, Frailes, at the USMA Universidad Católica Santa María La Antigua de Panamá. 1999 the Failes team won the contact open league 18+ national championship.
Fact: The Frailes team had a mix of students and non students on its roster and the team was in the contact open league 18+.
• 1998 National Team of Puerto Rico came to play the National Team of Panama. Panama won.
Fact: This was the first time the roster of the National Team of Panama was comprised of players from the contact open league 18+ playing in an international game.
• 1999 National Team of Panama went to play the National Team of Puerto Rica. Panama lost.
• 2002 to 04 - Decided to go to school at FSU Florida State University, Panama Campus, in preparation for going to study in the States for a MBA. Joined the Raptors/Seminoles team in the contact open league 18+.
• 2002 - National Team of Puerto Rico came to play the National Team of Panama. Panama lost.
• 2002/3/4 - MVP 3 year winning streak of the contact open league 18+.
Fact: Raptors/Seminoles team won the contact open league 18+ national championships in 2002 and 2004. Lost in 2003.
• 2004 - The teams from Panama and Puerto Rico that won their national championships played each other in Panama. Raptors/Seminoles team for Panama and Rio Piedra Blitz team for Puerto Rico. Raptors/Seminoles won.
• 2004 - After the national championship went to study a MBA in the States for 1.5 years.
• 2005 - Returned to Panama but had already missed the contact open league 18+ national championship calendar.
• 2006 - Decided to play another season with the Raptors/Seminoles team.
• 2006 - Played on the National Team of Panama in Panama against Wabash College, USA, Div. III team. Panama lost.
Fact: After the Wabash College game in 2006 until 2013 the National Team of Panama was dormant. The national team did not play again until 2013 at the 1st Central American Bowl in El Salvador.
Cohen retired in 2006 from contact style American Football and transitioned to playing Flag. During 2013 he was summoned out of his 7 year retirement to participate on the National Team of Panama competing in the 1st Central American Bowl, an IFAF sanctioned Qualifying Bowl for Central America. During the tournament Panama played Nicaragua in the playoffs and Costa Rica in the championship. Panama won and secured its position to represent Central America in the next IFAF Americas qualifying round.
The Panama vs. Brazil game is the first contact style American Football game Cohen will be playing since 2013.
Cohen played on the National Flag Team of Panama at the 2014 IFAF World Flag Championship in Italy. Since 2013 he continues to play with the Bulldogs Flag team. Before the Bulldogs he played with the Chingueros Flag team from 2006 to 2012.
How Cohen is mentally deflecting the pressure of the ‘expectation to win’.
“Dedicating a lot of my time to work and family is helping me. Also I am focused on the game, playbook, executing plays and I am not caught up on the media hype.”
Athletic traits Cohen wishes he could improve upon.
“To be younger and faster but with the same knowledge and playing experience I have presently.”
Player interview by: In The Field Reporting - Ms Elle
Click Names
RB Tomas Altamirano
LB Luis Eduardo Pabon
WR Woodly Griffith
“Our father, who had previously studied in the States, taught my younger brother and me US style sports from a very young age. We became attached to them. My brother is presently the QB for the National Flag Team of Panama. Also from a young age I watched a lot of American Football on TV so I became familiar with it early on.”
Football Career History:
• 1993 - Started playing on the Kiwanis Kolts team, in the Kiwanis junior varsity league.
* 1994 - Played QB and randomly Free Safety for Kiwanis Kolts. Won MVP.
• 1995 to 97 - Played QB on the Panthers varsity team.
Fact: 1997 Panthers team went undefeated and won the varsity championship. It was the first time a Panamanian varsity team won a championship taking into consideration the varsity league was comprised of both Panamanian player teams and US player dominated teams.
• 1997 - After the varsity championship went on to play in the contact open league 18+.
• 1998 to 2001 - Played on the university team, Frailes, at the USMA Universidad Católica Santa María La Antigua de Panamá. 1999 the Failes team won the contact open league 18+ national championship.
Fact: The Frailes team had a mix of students and non students on its roster and the team was in the contact open league 18+.
• 1998 National Team of Puerto Rico came to play the National Team of Panama. Panama won.
Fact: This was the first time the roster of the National Team of Panama was comprised of players from the contact open league 18+ playing in an international game.
• 1999 National Team of Panama went to play the National Team of Puerto Rica. Panama lost.
• 2002 to 04 - Decided to go to school at FSU Florida State University, Panama Campus, in preparation for going to study in the States for a MBA. Joined the Raptors/Seminoles team in the contact open league 18+.
• 2002 - National Team of Puerto Rico came to play the National Team of Panama. Panama lost.
• 2002/3/4 - MVP 3 year winning streak of the contact open league 18+.
Fact: Raptors/Seminoles team won the contact open league 18+ national championships in 2002 and 2004. Lost in 2003.
• 2004 - The teams from Panama and Puerto Rico that won their national championships played each other in Panama. Raptors/Seminoles team for Panama and Rio Piedra Blitz team for Puerto Rico. Raptors/Seminoles won.
• 2004 - After the national championship went to study a MBA in the States for 1.5 years.
• 2005 - Returned to Panama but had already missed the contact open league 18+ national championship calendar.
• 2006 - Decided to play another season with the Raptors/Seminoles team.
• 2006 - Played on the National Team of Panama in Panama against Wabash College, USA, Div. III team. Panama lost.
Fact: After the Wabash College game in 2006 until 2013 the National Team of Panama was dormant. The national team did not play again until 2013 at the 1st Central American Bowl in El Salvador.
Cohen retired in 2006 from contact style American Football and transitioned to playing Flag. During 2013 he was summoned out of his 7 year retirement to participate on the National Team of Panama competing in the 1st Central American Bowl, an IFAF sanctioned Qualifying Bowl for Central America. During the tournament Panama played Nicaragua in the playoffs and Costa Rica in the championship. Panama won and secured its position to represent Central America in the next IFAF Americas qualifying round.
The Panama vs. Brazil game is the first contact style American Football game Cohen will be playing since 2013.
Cohen played on the National Flag Team of Panama at the 2014 IFAF World Flag Championship in Italy. Since 2013 he continues to play with the Bulldogs Flag team. Before the Bulldogs he played with the Chingueros Flag team from 2006 to 2012.
How Cohen is mentally deflecting the pressure of the ‘expectation to win’.
“Dedicating a lot of my time to work and family is helping me. Also I am focused on the game, playbook, executing plays and I am not caught up on the media hype.”
Athletic traits Cohen wishes he could improve upon.
“To be younger and faster but with the same knowledge and playing experience I have presently.”
Player interview by: In The Field Reporting - Ms Elle
Click Names
RB Tomas Altamirano
LB Luis Eduardo Pabon
WR Woodly Griffith