{"id":6654,"date":"2026-08-15T23:36:40","date_gmt":"2026-08-15T23:36:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=6654"},"modified":"2026-08-15T23:36:40","modified_gmt":"2026-08-15T23:36:40","slug":"47-year-old-california-dad-joins-college-football-team-in-wild-comeback","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=6654","title":{"rendered":"47-year-old California dad joins college football team in wild comeback"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>A college football athlete whose injuries derailed his playing career during his freshman year has decided to come back onto the field and compete \u2014 at the age of 47.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=6652\">Socialist NY lawmaker Emily Gallagher says shoplifting for \u2018biological need\u2019 is OK<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Justin Buzzard, a South Bay pastor at Garden City Church, tried out for and made the football team this year for the San Jose City College Jaguars.<\/p>\n<p>Buzzard told NBC Bay Area that he got the idea after his son flagged for him a social media reel where a man in his sixties was playing football on the East Coast. Buzzard said he played football all throughout high school and the first year of college.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt stirred up in me this thought of, maybe I should give it a shot,\u201d he said on reviving his football dreams.<\/p>\n<p>He reached out to a coach at the college, who to his surprise, agreed to talk with him. He now is lining up again as a defensive end, the position he played during his college experience, with his own locker and equipment.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHere\u2019s the standard, here\u2019s the rules that we go by, as long as you can maintain those, I\u2019ll give you an opportunity,\u201d recounted Jim Winkler, head coach for the Jaguars, on what he first said to Buzzard.<\/p>\n<p>Winkler said having Buzzard on board is actually a benefit.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters <\/strong><\/h2>\n<div>\n<p><strong>California Post News<\/strong>: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedIn<br \/><strong>California Post Sports<\/strong> Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X<br \/><strong>California Post  <\/strong>Opinion <br \/><strong>California Post Newsletters<\/strong>: Sign up here!<br \/><strong>California Post App<\/strong>: Download here!<br \/><strong>Home delivery<\/strong>: Sign up here!<br \/><strong>Page Six Hollywood<\/strong>: Sign up here!<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=6650\">Exclusive | In the doghouse! AOC\u2019s sad sack ex Riley Roberts walks their pooch in first look since split news<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s been on the other side now. What I talk to these young guys about all the time, about not having regrets and leaving things undone, now he\u2019s coming back,\u201d the coach said.<\/p>\n<p>There could be complications for his new football career, given he is older and now more susceptible to physical injuries. Buzzard told NBC that his body is bruised and aches here and there.<\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cMy body\u2019s holding up a lot better than I thought,\u201d he said. \u201cFootball, that\u2019s the risk, is you get bruised, you get hurt, but I\u2019m doing pretty well.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, Buzzard said he\u2019s grateful for the opportunity and really enjoys his team.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have a great brotherhood and family culture going on,\u201d said Buzzard, who acknowledges that his new teammates, whose fathers are likely his age, have nicknamed him \u201cOG.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=6648\">Exclusive | Prince Harry and Meghan Markle advised to \u2018disappear professionally\u2019 after latest business fail to salvage reputation<\/a><\/p>\n<p>His first game will be Aug. 29 at San Jose City College, he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>South Bay pastor Justin Buzzard, 47, is making a shocking return to college football decades after injuries sidelined him.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6653,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[110],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6654","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-human-interest"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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