Julian Deayala

Julian DeAyala is an accomplished athlete and entrepreneur. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Advertising from the University of Texas at Austin in 1984. Mr. DeAyala also played on the university's football team, the Texas Longhorns. Mr. DeAyala served as captain of the 1982 team, setting several defensive records and earning the title of Southwest Conference defensive lineman of the year. He holds six records for the university team, including most sacks in a season with 22.5 and most sacks in a career with 40.5. BleacherReport.com calls Julian DeAyala "the most dominant linebacker in the history of Texas football." After his success with the Texas Longhorns, both the United States Football League and the National Football League drafted him. Mr. DeAyala played for two years with the Houston Gamblers and another two years with the Cincinnati Bengals, before retiring in 1987.

After retiring from professional football, Julian DeAyala began his career in business. For almost a decade, he served as a President, Partner, and Board Member of Arena Ventures Holdings in Laredo, Texas. Combining his business expertise with his athletic experience, he successfully led negotiations with the city of Laredo to construct a $38.5 million, 10,000-seat arena using public funds. He was responsible for purchasing the real estate, developing the arena, working with SMG to manage the arena's operations, and creating a sports franchise. Under Mr. DeAyala's leadership, Arena Ventures Holdings finished the arena below budget and three months early. Throughout his work with this company, Mr. DeAyala developed more than $40 million in real estate projects. While he worked with Arena Ventures Holdings, he also started Laredo Hockey Holdings, which won two league championships and led its league in revenues.

Currently, Mr. DeAyala owns and manages Houston-based DeAyala Properties. This company develops and sells private real estate through forming limited partnerships. Mr. DeAyala is involved in every step of his company's processes, from assessing opportunities to securing financing to delivering the projects within budget and on time. The company is presently developing a $50 million waterfront, gated residential community in Rockport, Texas.