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Javier Loya
Student athletes in plain uniforms walking onto a field at night, seen from behind

Columbia Lions, Class of 1991

Javier Loya On the Field

Before he built teams, Javier Loya was an under-recruited kid from El Paso who earned his way into Ivy League football.

The Playing Years

  1. El Paso

    Burges High School

    Loya grew up in El Paso, the sixth of seven children, and played high school football at Burges. He was not heavily recruited.

  2. 1988

    Breaking the streak

    As a sophomore defensive end, he recorded two sacks and eight tackles as Columbia beat Princeton 16 to 13 and ended a long losing streak.

  3. 1990

    All-Ivy honors

    A three-year varsity letterman at defensive end and outside linebacker, he was named Honorable Mention All-Ivy League.

  4. 1991

    Columbia graduate

    He earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Columbia University. In 2017 the Ivy Football Association honored him as a distinguished graduate.

Small Victories Matter

"When you have small victories, whether it's business, personal or home, you don't take things for granted."
Javier Loya, Columbia College Today, 2003

Loya and his younger brother Mario both played at Columbia. They often thought about high school opponents back home who could have played at that level but never got the chance. That idea now drives his support for showcases that put overlooked seniors in front of college coaches, including the Greater El Paso Football Showcase Combine.

Empty high school football field under bright Friday night lights

Sources