Yale’s Jaxton Santiago hopes to make Bakersfield proud

Yale tight end Jaxton Santiago was in the sixth grade when first asked his father to let him play tackle football. Hernan Santiago, who played football at the University of Washington, wanted to push his son toward baseball instead. 

If nothing else, the elder Santiago wanted to keep Jaxton in flag football instead of tackle a bit longer. The sixth-grader remained driven to play tackle football, though, so Hernan Santiago made a deal with Jaxton. 

Hernan vowed to let Jaxton join his friends in a tackle football league once the sixth-grader weighed at least 100 pounds and did 50 push-ups a night. 

Jaxton, who helped Yale earn the Ivy League’s historic first Football Championship Subdivision playoff berth last week against Harvard, eclipsed his father’s challenge easily. He did 100 push-ups and 100 sit-ups while weighing 106 pounds. Hernan Santiago then let Jaxton start playing tackle football in sixth grade, and Jaxton hasn’t stopped working on getting stronger and better ever since.

Historic FCS playoff berth

Jaxton Santiago is now a 6-foot-3, 215-pound sophomore now. He will likely be a key part of Yale’s offense when the Bulldogs visit Youngstown State today at noon EST in the first round of the FCS playoffs. 

Jaxton’s path to Ivy League football began in Bakersfield, Calif., in the San Joaquin Valley, which is more famous for its agriculture and farm workers. 

BULLDOGS BITE FIRST!

It's Dante Reno to Jaxton Santiago on the first play after the turnover!

Yale 7, Harvard 0 | 1st, 14:42#Team152 | #ThisIsYale pic.twitter.com/LtdWnZlDug

— Yale Football (@yalefootball) November 22, 2025

Once he got permission to play tackle football, Jaxton developed into a football star at Bakersfield’s Centennial High, where his father coached basketball and his mother taught physical education and dance. Before he knew it, Jaxton Santiago was receiving offers from FBS and FCS schools across the country. In his junior year of high school, Santiago committed to Boston College.

Just six months after accepting Boston College’s offer, Santiago received a call that he no longer had a spot on the roster. Boston College offered his scholarship to a transfer. 

“Once I re-opened (the recruiting process) and came out here, I realized this is where I should’ve been the entire time,” Santiago said of Yale.

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Jaxton Santiago, who had a 4.2 GPA at Centennial High, ultimately chose to attend Yale or Princeton. Harvard also offered him a spot on the football team.

Santiago has proven to be a standout throughout his first two seasons. Last Saturday against Harvard, Santiago scored the first touchdown for the Bulldogs with a 21-yard reception to set the tone for the 45-28 victory.

‘A special’ accomplishment

With the victory, Yale earned the Ivy League’s first automatic bid to the FCS playoffs.

“When you talk about a program that has been around for 150 years, to be the first team to represent the Ivy League in the playoffs, to represent Yale in the playoffs, it’s such a special thing,” Santiago said. “And I think it’s just all attributed to the program coach (Tony) Reno’s built and really the special place that this is and all the work we’ve been able to put in, you know, this year and all the year’s prior that have built up to what we are able to accomplish now.”

The talent Santiago has shown allows him to represent his hometown with pride. Santiago, who has Puerto Rican roots, has lived in Bakersfield his whole life. 

Jaxton Santiago has kept up with other college athletes who grew up in Bakersfield. He doesn’t know of another athlete or student from his hometown currently enrolled at Yale.  

“You know, there isn’t anybody else out here, to my knowledge, from Bakersfield,” he said. “So I really just wear it as a badge of honor almost. I’m just proud of all the athletes from Bakersfield that are doing their thing at different schools and keeping up with them. 

“I want to kind of like make them proud and make everybody back home proud too, so just try to be the best I can here and be that symbol to look at.”

‘Always striving for more’

From Bakersfield to Yale, Santiago continues to stay goal-oriented and driven. His father’s motto to “never let someone put you in a box” is also a key aspect in Santiago’s success.

“You always want to reach higher than what you think you can do,” Jaxton said. “And once you achieve something, it’s back to reaching even higher, and it’s like a mindset of never being complacent with where you’re at. 

“Always striving for more. Being grateful for what you do accomplish, and the things you’re able to do, but at the same time never falling into complacency and just continuing to drive and push for more.”