Upper St. Clair kicker makes conversion to American football
In the short 18 years of his life, Jacobo Echeverria Lozano has encountered many twists and turns in life, but his kicks for the Upper St. Clair football team have always been straight and true.
Born in Colombia, Echeverria Lozano moved to America in 2012. He was four. He turned five on his first day of school and he knew no English. In fact, he said he had to repeat kindergarten twice because of the language barrier.
“Spanish was my first language of course,” he said. “I didn’t really get (English) until like third grade. There’s been a lot harder things I’ve gone through though but it was a struggle,” he said of learning the language.
Echeverria Lozano never grappled with athletics, especially soccer, which plays a vital part of Colombia’s national identity. The game is a unifying force and source of pride for the South American country.
“Jacobo’s dad (Jorge) is the biggest soccer fan on the planet,” noted USC head football coach Mike Junko. “He’s become a football fan though and I am so glad that his boys love football the way they do.”
Echeverria Lozano started playing soccer at age 3. He also picked up basketball and played three sports until he entered high school.
His older brother, Jorge, is his “inspiration” as he served as a kicker for USC before heading to Penn State and becoming the equipment manager for the Nittany Lions. Currently, Jorge works in a similar capacity for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Additionally, Echeverria Lozano’s younger brother, Sebastian, is a freshman kicker and punter for the Panthers.
Echeverria Lozano’s life changed during his middle school years. In seventh grade, he nailed a 40-yard field goal while practicing. Somewhere between eight and ninth grade, he booted a 50-yarder.
“At first, I thought, whatever, I can kick. My brother can kick,” he rationalized. “But, that’s when it all started.”
Echeverria Lozano attempted to juggle both sports into his schedule, which included his academic classes in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. He is currently an honors student, carrying a 4.5 weighted GPA in his regular high school courses.
“My freshman year, I was going to play soccer and then football and see how the season developed but with all the games and practices I would have missed at least 70 percent of the soccer schedule so there was no point and it wouldn’t have been fair.”
Echeverria Lozano added he does “miss” soccer as well as basketball because he “likes running around” but he’s good at football.
“When you’re good at something, of course, you’re going to love it. I still love other sports but football is what I am best at and I’m going to keep going at it. Hopefully, play at the next level.”
That’s a given because Echeverria Lozano is ranked 10th among placekickers and 82nd among punters in the country by Kohl’s Kicking Camps.
“He’ll definitely be playing on Saturdays,” Junko predicted. “If Jacobo continues to grow and develop the way he has, I’m sure he’s got the leg to one day kick on Sundays. That comes down to consistency and he’s really shown that consistency.”
Last fall, Echeverria Lozano earned all-conference, first-team honors as a punter and a kicker. He converted 8 of 13 field goals, with his longest being 46 yards. He connected on all 47 of his extra point attempts. Plus, 50 of his 71 kickoffs were touchbacks and he averaged 40 yards per punt, nailing 17 within the 20-yard line.
Echeverria Lozano started the season in similar fashion. In a 35-14 win against Mt. Lebanon, he converted five extra points and all six of his kickoffs were touchbacks. He was particularly impressive in a 48-0 win against Canon-McMillan. Echeverria Lozano booted four field goals, measuring 23, 24, 38 and 40 yards, added three PAT and had seven touchbacks, with two of his kickoffs measuring 76 and 69 yards.
“The biggest thing is how consistent Jacobo is. It doesn’t matter the distance,” Junko said. “He did a fantastic job against Canon-Mac. When we didn’t finish drives, he finished them for us.
“Jacobo is such a weapon, particularly on kickoffs. I think if you have to start on the 20-yard line, 80 yards is a long way to go in high school football. He gives you that ability to try to win the field position battle.”
As for field goals, Junko added that he’s watched Echeverria Lozano convert attempts from 60 yards and beyond in practice. “So, I trust him anywhere from 55 in (during a game),” Junko said.
Echeverria Lozano’s longest field goal was a 48-yard conversion but he says he probably could make attempts from 50 to 55 yards.
“Every time I break a new record or I go out and kick the ball farther, it just amps me up. I want to keep going,” he said.
Hence, Echeverria Lozano practices, but he does so methodically. To develop his accuracy, which he terms as consistency, he warms up and then proceeds to kick anywhere from 10 to 25 balls, but no more.
“Because it’s like a pitcher has a pitch count,” he said. “A kicker has a kick count, too. If I overdo it, then I can’t practice or I’ll get hurt. So I just have to be careful. You come out here, work left hash, middle, right hash and work on the contact. It’s just pretty much repetition and doing the same thing every time. Then you’re not going to miss.”
Echeverria Lozano is a can’t miss college recruit. Last year, he kicked in front of recruiters from Georgia, Ohio State and Penn State. The Bulldogs and Nittany Lions didn’t work out, he said, because he didn’t perform his best and those schools picked other players, including his “best friend in the kicking world.”
This year, Ohio State remains a top choice along with UCLA and Arkansas State. He’s also currently talking to coaches from Robert Morris University.
“I’m keeping my options open,” said Echeverria Lozano.
While he plans to major in business or finance, Echeverria Lozano knows his right leg is an option for earning his keep in life. He hopes to make a career out of kicking.
“That’s the thought, of course, but what’s propelling me is also I just like to go out there and kick. I’m passionate about it.”
Echeverria Lozano is fervent about his expectations for his senior season. He wants to help the Panthers repeat as conference champions and advance to the WPIAL finals. Last year, USC won the Allegheny Six banner but lost to rival Peters Township, 7-3, in the Class 5A semifinals.
“The goal’s to go 10-0. Try to go to the WPIAL final and then the next step would be the state finals,” he said.
“I’m hyped up, especially after the Canon-Mac game, which was amazing,” he added of senior night.. “We’ve been getting great execution from all three sides of the game, offense, defense and special teams.”
USC senior kicker cherishes citizenship
Jacobo Echeverria Lozano has much to celebrate on and off the football field.
Born in Columbia, the Upper St. Clair High School senior became a United States citizen when his mother, Lilina, passed the naturalization test earlier this year.
Echeverria Lozano arrived in America nearly 14 years ago when a job opportunity opened up for his father, Jorge.
“My dad was just a good worker,” Echeverria Lozano said. “A good friend of his, who lives in West Allegheny and he works with, kind of like recruited him.”
Echeverria Lozano noted at the time the “family was going through” things, including his mother’s illness.
“We took a chance and the opportunity to come here, of course, it was amazing,” he said. “It’s a great place.”
Echeverria Lozano’s family settled in Upper St. Clair but he did not become a citizen until certain criteria were met.
“If your parents live here for 10 years, then the children, if you’re under 18, and they pass a test, the children become a citizen,” Echeverria Lozano explained. “So, I’m a citizen now,” he said.
Echeverria Lozano noted he “wasn’t illegal” because his parents had the proper documentation, such as visas and green cards.
“I understand (immigration) is a touchy subject,” he said. “I mean, it’s sad, but at the same time, it makes sense. I just think it has to be more controlled about how they do it. But the thing that I’m happy about is my parents did it the right way.”
What saddened Echeverria Lozano had been his inability to return to Colombia to visit relatives, particularly during the pandemic.
“Before COVID, I would go back every year and visit. So it was like almost four or five years before I saw my family again because most of them still live back in Colombia. So that’s sad. Hopefully, I’ll be back soon.”
Since he has lived in America, Echeverria Lozano’s English has improved, thanks in part to the education system in the Upper St. Clair School District, which offers an International Baccalaureate program.
Situations determine which language he enlists.
“When I’m home, I speak in Spanish to all my parents and brothers. So, of course, I think in Spanish. “When I’m in school, I think in English.
“And,” he added with a laugh, “if I’m mad, usually I think in English.”