- Selected by the Giants in the second round (34th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft, spent four seasons (2018-21) in New York before signing with the Cardinals as a free agent in 2022.
- In his first six NFL seasons (2018-23), has started 86-of-92 games played. His 86 starts have come at RG (47) and LG (39).
- The 2023 campaign marked the fourth time in his career (2018-19, 2021, 2023) he has started every game in a season.
- Has started all 30 games played at RG in two seasons (2022-23) with Arizona.
- In his second season with Arizona in 2023, was one of just four players (Hjalte Froholdt, Paris Johnson Jr. and Zaven Collins) to start all 17 games.
- Part of a line that helped the Cardinals rush for 2,365 yards and 17 TDs on 471 attempts (5.02 avg.) in 2023. Arizona's 2,365 rushing yards were the 4th most in a season in franchise history while its 5.02 rushing average was second-highest.
- Helped the Cardinals lead the NFL in games with 200+ rushing yards (4) and runs of 20+ yards (23) in '23.
- Paved the way for RB James Conner to post his first career 1,000-yard rushing season in '23, as he finished the year with 1,040 yards and seven TDs on 208 carries (5.0 avg.).
- Hernandez's parents, Robert Hernandez and Angelica Lemus, immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico prior to his birth. His grandparents hail from Mexico City.
Originally selected by the Giants in the second round (34th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft. Placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list on 10/29/20 and reinstated on 11/10/20. Signed a one-year contract with Arizona on 3/28/22. Re-signed with the Cardinals to a two-year contract on 3/15/23.
2023: Started all 17 games at RG, joining Hjalte Froholdt, Paris Johnson Jr. and Zaven Collins as the only players to start all 17 games for AZ in '23 ... blocked for an offensive that ran for the second-most rushing yards per play (5.02) and the fourth-most total rushing yards (2,365 - most by Cardinals since 1979) in the NFL despite ranking 13th in rushing attempts (471) ... started at RG in season-opener @ Was (9/10), marking the sixth time in NFL seasons he has started a season opener ... started in the home opener vs. NYG (9/17), helped pave the way for RB James Conner to rush for 106 yards and 1 TD and allow zero sacks on QB Joshua Dobbs; it marked the Cardinals first game without allowing a sack since 12/25/21 ... helped pave the way for Arizona to rush for 222 yards vs. Dal (9/24), the most rushing yards by the team since Week 6 of 2020 ... helped block for 105 rushing yards against the NFL's top run defense and was part of an offensive line that allowed just one sack on 41 pass attempts @ SF (10/1) ... helped the team rush for 142 yards and a TD on 22 attempts (6.5 avg.) vs. Cin (10/8) ... led the way as the team rushed for 130 yards @ LAR (10/15) ... part an O-line that led the way for AZ to rush for 129 yards facing the NFL's ninth-ranked run defense vs. Bal (10/29) ... served as a lead blocker as the Cards rushed for 122 and two TDs on 26 carries (4.7 avg.) vs. Atl (11/12); Falcons had allowed an NFL-low two rushing TDs over its first nine games ... helped block for 125 yards and a TD facing the NFL's ninth-ranked run defense @ Hou (11/19) ... paved the way for Conner as he rushed for 105 yards and two TDs @ Pit (12/3) ... helped block for the offense to rush for 234 yards against the NFL's top ranked run defense vs. SF (12/17), the most rushing yards by the team since Week 6 of 2020 ... part of an O-line that allowed just one sack while paving the way for 221 rushing yards on a season-high 40 carries (5.5 avg.) @ Phi (12/31), including 128 rushing yards from Conner; the Eagles had not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 24 games and a 200 rushing yard performance in 49 games headed into the contest ... started at RG in the season finale vs. Sea (1/7/24) and helped block for the offense to run for over 200 yards, including a career-high 150 rushing yards from Conner; it marked an NFL-high fourth game in 2023 that the Cardinals ran for 200+ yards.
2022: Started all 13 games played at RG in his debut season with the Cardinals ... made his fifth consecutive season-opening start, opening the game at RG vs. KC (9/11) ... was part of an O-Line that did not allow a QB sack in the second half or overtime, helping Kyler Murray engineer a 20-point come from behind victory @ LV (9/18) ... started at RG in the Cards 42-34 Thursday Night Football win vs. NO (10/20), helping AZ post its highest point total ever in a primetime game; also marked the highest-scoring TNF matchup in five years ... started vs. TB (12/25) and helped lead the way as Conner rushed for 79 yards and a TD on 15 carries (5.3 avg.); Conner's TD came on a 22-yard run in the 3rd quarter, his longest TD run of the season.
2021: Started all 17 games at right guard, playing all offensive snaps in all but one contest … contributed to an offensive unit that rushed for over 100 yards in weeks 2-3, 7, 9, 14, 15 and 17 … part of an offensive line that did not allow any sacks in @ NO (10/3) and @ Dal (10/10).
2020: Played in 13 games with seven starts … started the first seven games at left guard, extending his career-beginning streak to 23 consecutive starts … placed on the Reserve/COVID19 list on 10/29 and missed the following two games vs. TB (11/2) and @ Was (11/8) … prior to the game against the Buccaneers, he had played all 2,523 offensive snaps in his career, including all 429 in 2020 … returned to the field vs. Phi (11/15) and played in six consecutive games as a reserve … DNP vs. Dal (1/3).
2019: Started all 16 games at left guard for the second consecutive season … the first Giants offensive lineman to start each of the first 32 games of his career since David Diehl (2003-04) … one of six Giants – and two offensive linemen - to start all 16 games, joining LT Nate Solder … a member of an o-line that helped Daniel Jones set a franchise rookie record with 24 TD passes and Saquon Barkley run for more than 1,000 yards for the second consecutive season.
2018: Started all 16 games at left guard as a rookie … joined LT Nate Solder as the only offensive linemen to start every game and was one of eight Giants to start all 16 contests … the team's first rookie offensive lineman to start every game since RT Justin Pugh in 2013 … he and RB Saquon Barkley started every game as rookies; it was just the second time since the 1970 merger the Giants had multiple rookies start every game (LB Lawrence Taylor & DT Bill Neill in 1981) … Hernandez and Barkley were the first Giants offensive rookies to start every game since WR Sterling Shepard in 2016 … he was the first Giants rookie to start on the offensive line in a season opener since Ereck Flowers (2015) and the first rookie to start at guard in an opener since Weston Richburg (2014).
Started all 49 games he played in during his collegiate career at left guard … named to the AP All-American second team in both 2016 and 2017, becoming the first UTEP player to receive back-to-back AP All-American honors … the first UTEP offensive lineman to be named to an All-American team and first Miner at any position to earn AP All-America recognition since 2006 … one of six Miners in school history to be selected as an AP All-American … the first UTEP offensive lineman since 2009 to be named to the All-Conference USA first team … he was the first UTEP offensive lineman ever to be selected first-team all-conference in consecutive seasons and the first Miner at any position to earn back-to-back first-team honors since 2006-07 … in Hernandez's four seasons, the Miners allowed 1.47 sacks per game, including one or no sacks in 27 games and zero sacks in 12 contests … UTEP ranked first in 2014 and 2015 in Conference USA in least sacks allowed … as a senior in 2017, Hernandez started all 12 games at left guard … he was named to AP All-American second team for the second year in a row ... earned All-Conference USA first-team honors ... in 2016, started all 12 games at left guard … honored as an AP All-American second team selection ... named Conference USA first team (first UTEP offensive lineman since 2009 to earn first-team honors) … played on an offensive line that paved the way for Aaron Jones to rush for a school-record 1,773 yards while Jones also became UTEP's all-time leading rusher … in 2015, started all 12 games at left guard … earned All-Conference USA honorable mention … played on an offensive line unit that led C-USA in sacks allowed (12) … as a redshirt freshman in 2014, started all 13 games at left guard ... named to the Conference USA All-Freshman team … Hernandez played on an offensive line that surrendered only 13 sacks (ranked first in C-USA and eighth nationally) ... redshirted in 2013.
Three-year varsity letterman as a guard, defensive tackle and kicker at Chaparral (Las Vegas, NV) High School ... selected all-conference on both offense and defense ... as a senior, he registered 42 tackles, 8.0 sacks, one INT, five forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries ... also competed on the wrestling and track and field teams, throwing the shot put and discus … partnered with the mayor's office of East Orange, NJ during the 2020 season to support the public schools and families in need through the Team of Teams initiative … represented the El Paso Victim's Education Fund, which supports his alma mater, UTEP, during the NFL's annual My Cause My Cleats NFL initiative ... father, Robert, was a professional soccer player in Mexico ... almost quit the game of football following his sophomore year of high school after his family hit financial difficulties; they lost their house and were forced to move into a tool shed in his uncle's back yard, where they lived for two years; spent most of his time helping his father with his contracting business, before his high school coaches convinced him he could make a living playing football.
