Former Lumberjack Football HC, Legendary Gridiron Presence John Levra Passes Away
1/8/2026 11:49:00 AM | Football
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Former Stephen F. Austin head football coach John Levra passed away on Wednesday, January 7. He was 88. Coach Levra leaves behind a hall-of-fame gridiron legacy that touched every level of football and thousands of student-athletes, coaches and fans.
Levra led the SFA program for four seasons from 1971 to 1974. He came to Nacogdoches after a successful run at New Mexico Highlands where he led the Cowboys to a 35-4-1 record. Although his first two seasons at Stephen F. Austin featured its share of tough times, as the 'Jacks won a combined four games, his final two campaigns were historic. SFA won nine games for the first time in program history during the 1973 season and matched that effort the following fall with nine victories. Since then, there have only been two additional two-year stretches in program history with back-to-back nine-win seasons.
Levra orchestrated the first-ever postseason appearance for the Lumberjacks guiding the '73 squad to a berth in that season's Poultry Bowl where the 'Jacks' overpowering option ground attack overwhelmed Gardner-Webb in a 31-10 victory.
A two-way player at Pittsburg State (1956-58) where he won a national championship, Levra moved on from SFA to return to his home state of Kansas (Arma native) where he took over as offensive coordinator for the Jayhawks. He enjoyed stints at North Texas (1979) and with the BC Lions (1980) of the Canadian Football League, before embarking on a 23-year career in the National Football League with the New Orleans Saints (1981-1985), the Chicago Bears (1986-1992), the Denver Broncos (1993-1994), the Minnesota Vikings (1995-1997) and the Buffalo Bills (1998-2002).
He was inducted to the Pittsburg State Athletic Hall of Fame as part of the 1957 national championship team in 1988, as an individual in 2000, received New Mexico Highlands University Athletic Hall of Fame honors in 2009 and was enshrined into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.
More on Coach Levra's gridiron life and hall-of-fame legacy as digitized by the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame following his induction:
John Levra Born: October 2, 1937 (Arma, KS)
Graduated: Arma High School, 1955; Pittsburg State University, 1963
Few coaches have the opportunity to coach at every level in their particular sport, from high school all the way to the highest level of professional sports. Even fewer have the longevity of Arma native John Levra. From his playing days through his retirement from coaching, Levra's impact on the game of football spans parts of six decades and today, lands him a spot in the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.
Hailing from Arma, Levra chose to play football collegiately down the road at Pittsburg State University for head coach, and Kansas Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Carnie Smith. An offensive lineman, Levra helped the Gorillas to an undefeated season and the school's first national championship in 1957. As a team captain the following year in 1958, Levra was named the team's most valuable offensive player and earned second team all-conference honors.
Following his playing time at Pittsburg State, Levra began his legendary coaching career at the high school level, first at McCune High School for two years then to Kansas City Washington High School for five years before breaking into the college coaching ranks in 1966 at New Mexico Highlands as the school's offensive coordinator. Following one season in that role, Levra was promoted to head coach for the 1967 season.
In four seasons, Levra led the Cowboys to a sterling 35-4-1 record and helped four players earn All-American honors. In fact, two of his players at little Highlands University went on to be named Offensive Rookie of the Year at the professional ranks with Carl Garrett taking the AFL award in 1969 and Don Woods winning the award in 1974.
Levra left for Stephen F. Austin University in 1971. Wins were tough to come by the first two seasons, but by year three, Levra and the Lumberjacks had won nine games and were in the Poultry Bowl in Georgia. Year four saw more success with another nine win season but when the University of Kansas called with a job offer, Levra departed Texas to return to his home state as offensive coordinator of the Jayhawks in 1975.
Levra spent three years at KU, coaching legendary Jayhawk Nolan Cromwell in the process, before spending one year each at the University of North Texas and the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League. In 1981, Levra's big break came when newly appointed head coach of the New Orleans Saints and larger than life coach, Bum Phillips, offered him a job on his staff. For the next twenty-three seasons, Levra roamed the sidelines of the National Football League with the Saints, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, and Buffalo Bills.
Although his job responsibilities changed at nearly every step in his career, the success Levra helped bring to the teams he coached didn't. With the Bears, Levra's defensive line led the NFL in sacks twice and set a record for the fewest points scored allowed in a season. His teams made eight playoff appearances and Levra helped no fewer than six players reach the pinnacle of football – the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Levra also coached under some of the game's greats, including Bum Phillips, Mike Ditka, Dennis Green, and Wade Phillips.
His success didn't go unnoticed, even while it was happening. Levra was selected to coach at the Pro Bowl, served as an assistant on various collegiate all-star games, and is often one of the most well attended coaching seminar presentations across the country. He was inducted to the Pittsburg State Athletic Hall of Fame as part of the 1957 national championship team in 1988, as an individual in 2000, and was inducted to the New Mexico Highlands University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009.
How does a kid from Arma, who began his career as a coach at McCune, make it all the way to the NFL? It would be easy to call the story of John Levra fiction, if it wasn't all true.
Levra led the SFA program for four seasons from 1971 to 1974. He came to Nacogdoches after a successful run at New Mexico Highlands where he led the Cowboys to a 35-4-1 record. Although his first two seasons at Stephen F. Austin featured its share of tough times, as the 'Jacks won a combined four games, his final two campaigns were historic. SFA won nine games for the first time in program history during the 1973 season and matched that effort the following fall with nine victories. Since then, there have only been two additional two-year stretches in program history with back-to-back nine-win seasons.
Levra orchestrated the first-ever postseason appearance for the Lumberjacks guiding the '73 squad to a berth in that season's Poultry Bowl where the 'Jacks' overpowering option ground attack overwhelmed Gardner-Webb in a 31-10 victory.
A two-way player at Pittsburg State (1956-58) where he won a national championship, Levra moved on from SFA to return to his home state of Kansas (Arma native) where he took over as offensive coordinator for the Jayhawks. He enjoyed stints at North Texas (1979) and with the BC Lions (1980) of the Canadian Football League, before embarking on a 23-year career in the National Football League with the New Orleans Saints (1981-1985), the Chicago Bears (1986-1992), the Denver Broncos (1993-1994), the Minnesota Vikings (1995-1997) and the Buffalo Bills (1998-2002).
He was inducted to the Pittsburg State Athletic Hall of Fame as part of the 1957 national championship team in 1988, as an individual in 2000, received New Mexico Highlands University Athletic Hall of Fame honors in 2009 and was enshrined into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.
More on Coach Levra's gridiron life and hall-of-fame legacy as digitized by the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame following his induction:
John Levra Born: October 2, 1937 (Arma, KS)
Graduated: Arma High School, 1955; Pittsburg State University, 1963
Few coaches have the opportunity to coach at every level in their particular sport, from high school all the way to the highest level of professional sports. Even fewer have the longevity of Arma native John Levra. From his playing days through his retirement from coaching, Levra's impact on the game of football spans parts of six decades and today, lands him a spot in the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.
Hailing from Arma, Levra chose to play football collegiately down the road at Pittsburg State University for head coach, and Kansas Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Carnie Smith. An offensive lineman, Levra helped the Gorillas to an undefeated season and the school's first national championship in 1957. As a team captain the following year in 1958, Levra was named the team's most valuable offensive player and earned second team all-conference honors.
Following his playing time at Pittsburg State, Levra began his legendary coaching career at the high school level, first at McCune High School for two years then to Kansas City Washington High School for five years before breaking into the college coaching ranks in 1966 at New Mexico Highlands as the school's offensive coordinator. Following one season in that role, Levra was promoted to head coach for the 1967 season.
In four seasons, Levra led the Cowboys to a sterling 35-4-1 record and helped four players earn All-American honors. In fact, two of his players at little Highlands University went on to be named Offensive Rookie of the Year at the professional ranks with Carl Garrett taking the AFL award in 1969 and Don Woods winning the award in 1974.
Levra left for Stephen F. Austin University in 1971. Wins were tough to come by the first two seasons, but by year three, Levra and the Lumberjacks had won nine games and were in the Poultry Bowl in Georgia. Year four saw more success with another nine win season but when the University of Kansas called with a job offer, Levra departed Texas to return to his home state as offensive coordinator of the Jayhawks in 1975.
Levra spent three years at KU, coaching legendary Jayhawk Nolan Cromwell in the process, before spending one year each at the University of North Texas and the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League. In 1981, Levra's big break came when newly appointed head coach of the New Orleans Saints and larger than life coach, Bum Phillips, offered him a job on his staff. For the next twenty-three seasons, Levra roamed the sidelines of the National Football League with the Saints, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, and Buffalo Bills.
Although his job responsibilities changed at nearly every step in his career, the success Levra helped bring to the teams he coached didn't. With the Bears, Levra's defensive line led the NFL in sacks twice and set a record for the fewest points scored allowed in a season. His teams made eight playoff appearances and Levra helped no fewer than six players reach the pinnacle of football – the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Levra also coached under some of the game's greats, including Bum Phillips, Mike Ditka, Dennis Green, and Wade Phillips.
His success didn't go unnoticed, even while it was happening. Levra was selected to coach at the Pro Bowl, served as an assistant on various collegiate all-star games, and is often one of the most well attended coaching seminar presentations across the country. He was inducted to the Pittsburg State Athletic Hall of Fame as part of the 1957 national championship team in 1988, as an individual in 2000, and was inducted to the New Mexico Highlands University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009.
How does a kid from Arma, who began his career as a coach at McCune, make it all the way to the NFL? It would be easy to call the story of John Levra fiction, if it wasn't all true.
10.16.23 | Football x Coach Carthel Press Conference
Tuesday, October 17
10.2.23 | Football x Week Six Presser
Monday, October 02
9.22.23 | Purple Lights Spotlight x Jarvis Anderson - SFA Football
Tuesday, September 26
9.18.23 | Football x Week Four Presser Colby Carthel Press Conference
Monday, September 18
