Teton Saltes

BIOGRAPHY

Teton Saltes was born on May 4, 1998, in Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota. He is an offensive tackle in the NFL.

He played college football at the University of New Mexico, where he was the 2020 recipient of the Wuerffel Trophy, given to the player who "best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement".

Saltes focused more on playing basketball, and as a result, did not play football until his junior year of high school. Once he started playing, he received offers from schools such as San Diego State, Texas Tech, and Iowa State. Ultimately, he committed to playing college football at New Mexico in 2016.

Saltes lived on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota before leaving the reservation as his mother got into medical school, eventually settling in New Mexico. He still returns to Pine Ridge every summer to mentor children on the reservation, as well as bring awareness to suicides among Native Americans in the United States.

After not being drafted in the 2021 NFL Draft, Saltes signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent.