Daniel D. Villanueva, a former professional football player who as a founder of the Univision network built a Spanish-language broadcasting empire spanning the United States, died on Thursday in Ventura, Calif. He was 77.
His death, after a stroke, was announced by his alma mater, New Mexico State University.
One of the first Hispanic-Americans in the National Football League, Mr. Villanueva was a kicker for the Los Angeles Rams from 1960 to 1964, and for the Dallas Cowboys from 1965 to 1967. He was also a television sportscaster and an executive of the Spanish International Communications Corporation, a forerunner of Univision.