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Map of San Jose, California

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A 47-year-old dad played college football, 30 years later

San Jose, California · 20 September 2026

His son said try out. He thought that was crazy.

Justin Buzzard, a 47-year-old pastor and father of three, played his first college football snaps on August 29, thirty years after injuries ended the dream at Whitworth College in Washington. The idea came from his eldest son, Cru. "Maybe you should play college football," Cru told him. Buzzard's first reaction was that this sounded crazy. His pros-and-cons list settled it. "The pro list was super long," he told ABC News. "The con list was, 'What if I got hurt?'" San Jose City College gave him a tryout, and he trained on the same terms as teammates half his age, adding 10 pounds of muscle. He also led prayers on the roster. Against College of the Redwoods, he lined up at right defensive end and hurried the quarterback on his opening play. His team lost 41-21. Opposing players called him the man of the hour in the handshake line. He turned 48 on September 14, matching his jersey number.

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