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University of Pennsylvania Athletics

2025 Football Roster

Hunter Martin
Michael Nance

44 John Lista

  • Height 6-2
  • Weight 225
  • Class Senior
  • Hometown Fair Haven, N.J.
  • Highschool Rumson-Fair Haven

Biography

Career Honors
2024:
Second-team All-Ivy

2024: Second-team All-Ivy … Elite-level defensive year before suffering a season-ending injury heading into the final game … Played and started eight games … Finished season with 62 total tackles (including 44 solo stops), adding 5.0 TFLs and two sacks. Also had a forced fumble, a six hurries, and a pass breakup … Tied for fifth in solo tackles among Ivy defenders … In a win over Bucknell (10/12) at Franklin Field, he put together an 11-tackle performance (on 10 solos) and tallied 3.5 TFLs for a loss of 11 yards (including a sack) with two hurries. Went on to be named Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week … Against Columbia (10/19), finished with six tackles, a half TFL, a hurry and a PBU … Finished with 10 tackles (on six solo stops) vs. Yale (10/25) … Had another standout performance at Brown (11/2) with 11 solos—totaling 12 tackles—with a sack for a four-yard loss, adding a hurry … Recorded six tackles at Cornell (11/9) … Had a tackle and a forced fumble that caused his season-ending injury vs. Harvard (11/9).

2023: Played nine games and became the starter at linebacker halfway through the season, starting six … Totaled 43 tackles, 26 of which were solo stops, adding 3.5 TFLs and three sacks. Also had an interception and a fumble recovery … Recorded his first career sack with three tackles at Colgate (9/16) … Had a hurry and a pass breakup at Bucknell (9/23) … In the Ivy opener vs. Dartmouth, finished with four tackles and a fumble recovery … Recorded a career-high 11 tackles and seven solo stops with a 24-yard interception return vs. Georgetown (10/7) … Had two sacks and five tackles at Yale (10/21) … Registered seven tackles on four solos vs. Brown (10/27) … Finished with six tackles against Cornell (11/4).

2022: Did not see any game action.

High School: Team Captain … Three-year varsity starter … First Team All-State … Shore Sports Network-Defensive Player of the Year … Two-time First Team All-Shore Conference.
 
Personal: Son of Kim and Mike Lista … Father and Uncle, Bill Lista, both played football for Penn … Enrolled in the College of Arts & Sciences.

Statistics

Season Statistics

Season Statistics

No statistics available for this season.

Career Statistics

There are no statistics available for this player.

Historical Player Information

  • 44

    2022Freshman

    LB
    6'1" 200 lbs
    44
  • 44

    2023Sophomore

    LB
    6'1" 215 lbs
    44
  • 44

    2024Junior

    LB
    6'1" 215 lbs
    44
  • 44

    2025Senior

    LB
    6'2" 225 lbs
    44