A 47-year-old California pastor has returned to college football nearly three decades after an injury ended his playing career, after his son showed him a video of a 60-year-old man playing the sport.
asserted
son → return → sport
Justin Buzzard, a pastor, husband and father of three, has made the San José City College Jaguars roster as a defensive end after spending years away from competitive football.
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Buzzard → make → football
Buzzard played football in high school and continued into college before injuries forced him to stop in the 1990s.
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injuries → play → 1990s
Decades later, a video showing an older man playing football prompted his son to ask whether his father could make a similar comeback.
uncertain
father → show → comeback
Buzzard took the challenge seriously, began training again and eventually contacted San José City College.
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Buzzard → take → College
After working through practices and conditioning with players far younger than him, he earned a place on the roster and is now preparing for the 2026 season.
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he → work → season
How a 47-year-old California pastor returned to college football
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pastor → return → football
Buzzard's return began with a challenge from his son rather than a long-planned attempt to revive his football career.
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return → begin → career
According to Buzzard's account to NBC Bay Area, his son showed him a social-media video featuring a man in his 60s playing football and questioned why his father could not get back on the field.
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father → accord → field
Buzzard initially thought the suggestion was unrealistic, but the idea stayed with him.
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idea → think → him
He eventually contacted San José City College and asked about the possibility of joining the football programme.
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He → contact → programme
That conversation led to an opportunity to train with the team, where Buzzard had to demonstrate that he could handle the physical demands of college football.
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he → lead → football
He began conditioning and participating in practices during the summer, working towards the same goal as much younger players.
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He → begin → players
The decision represented a return to a sport he had left behind almost 30 years earlier after injuries ended his original playing career.
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injuries → represent → career
An injury ended his first football career in the 1990s
Buzzard already had years of football experience before his unusual comeback.
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Buzzard → end → comeback
He played four years of high-school football and then spent one year playing at college level, but injuries eventually forced him away from the sport.
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injuries → play → sport
Nearly three decades later, he has returned to the field as a defensive end for the San José City College Jaguars.
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he → return → Jaguars
His age makes the comeback unusual, but his previous experience also means he is not learning football from scratch.
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he → make → scratch
The challenge has instead been rebuilding the physical conditioning required to play a demanding contact sport after years away.
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challenge → rebuild → years
Buzzard has spoken about wanting to remain healthy while competing alongside players who are young enough to be his children.
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who → speak → players
He has gone through the process of training, practising and earning a place on the roster.
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He → go → roster
He made the roster alongside much younger players
Buzzard's teammates are predominantly traditional college-age athletes, creating an enormous age gap between him and many of the people sharing the field.
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teammates → make → field
Reports say some of his teammates are around the age of his oldest son, yet Buzzard has said the players have welcomed him rather than treating him as an outsider.
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players → say → outsider
His teammates have reportedly given him the nickname "OG", reflecting his status as the oldest player in the group.
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teammates → give → group
coach Jim Winkler told ChurchLeaders that Buzzard was expected to follow the same standards and rules as everyone else on the team.
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Buzzard → tell → team
Buzzard has also made clear that he does not want younger players to go easy on him because of his age.
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players → make → age
His goal is to compete on the field rather than simply serve as an inspirational presence on the sidelines.
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goal → compete → sidelines
The fact that he earned a roster place after going through the team's preparation process makes the comeback more significant than simply showing up for a practice.
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comeback → earn → practice
His family had concerns about the physical risks
Buzzard's decision to return to contact football also required support from his family.
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decision → have → family
He has been married for more than two decades and has three sons, and his wife initially had reservations about him actually playing in games.
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him → have → games
Buzzard told Fox News that she was happy for him to make the team but did not initially want him to take part in games because of the potential for injury.
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him → tell → injury
Her position later softened, and reports say she now has his games on her calendar and plans to support him.
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she → soften → him
Buzzard has also emphasised the importance of staying healthy as he prepares for the season.
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he → emphasise → season
The concern is understandable given that injuries were what ended his original football career.
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what → give → career
His comeback therefore involves a genuine physical risk, particularly because he is returning to a contact sport after a prolonged absence.
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he → involve → absence
Nevertheless, Buzzard has continued with the programme and has made clear that he wants to see how far he can take the opportunity.
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he → continue → opportunity
Football is now part of his life alongside his ministry
Buzzard's return to the field is taking place alongside his work as a pastor.
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return → take → pastor
He is the founder and lead pastor of Garden City Church in the South Bay and has spent years speaking about personal growth, fatherhood, relationships and taking meaningful risks.
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He → spend → risks
His football comeback has naturally become connected to that message.
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comeback → become → message
Buzzard has described his philosophy with the phrase "risk or rust", arguing that people should continue challenging themselves rather than allowing fear or comfort to prevent them from pursuing meaningful goals.
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fear → describe → goals
…and 19 more, not listed.
The Aporia
