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American football helmet on grass under stadium lights at night, evoking competition, teamwork and dedication on the empty gridiron before kickoff
When the San Jose City College Jaguars take the field for their first game of the 2026 college football season against Redwood, they’ll do so with a new face at defensive end.
But Justin Buzzard is far from your average college football player.
For one, Buzzard is 47 years old. That alone would be impressive, although Lycoming College’s Tom Cilio had more than 10 years on him last season.
However, that’s not the only interesting part of Buzzard’s season. On top of his age, the 47-year-old freshman is also a Pastor at a local church.
Buzzard told NBC Bay Area that he played football growing up, but an injury seemingly ended his career in the 1990s. He’s now married with three children, and when one of those three children recently showed him the story of a 60-year-old trying to make a gridiron comeback, Buzzard got inspired.
“No one’s going easy at all, and I’m not going easy on them,” he said in an interview with Fox & Friends. “That’s the more important topic. I’m not going easy on these guys. I’m giving them everything I’ve got, too.
“My teammates have been great. They have really embraced me. I was really wondering, ‘How are they going to handle a 47-year-old guy showing up?’ Are they going to receive me? Are they going to accept me? Will they try to go easy on me? Will they try to attack me?
“And they’ve been incredible.”
Unlike recent players who have returned from the NFL to play college football, Buzzard has no delusions of grandeur. He’s not receiving a massive NIL check.
Instead, he’s chasing a dream in the most admirable way possible, and he’s reminding us all that college sports still have some good left in them.