47-year-old pastor makes college football team – and plays in first game in three decades 

A 47-year-old California pastor says he was talking with his oldest son months ago when the teenager floated an idea that seemed, at the time, crazy: Dad, you love football – why don’t you try out for a college team?

Pastor Justin Buzzard acknowledges the idea sounded far-fetched at first, but it grew increasingly enticing as he realized he had two key ingredients needed to compete on the gridiron: physical fitness and a competitive drive.

“Football’s fun, and I missed it. I grew up playing football – [but] I haven’t played in 30 years,” he told ESPN.

Buzzard is a devoted husband, a father of three kids, and the lead pastor of Garden City Church in Los Gatos, just southwest of San Jose.

He’s also now a freshman defensive end for the San Jose City College Jaguars, a community college just a few miles from his home. Buzzard previously played three decades ago for Whitworth University in Washington state but was redshirted and saw his playing career cut short due to an injury.

He made his college football debut Aug. 29 against the College of the Redwoods, getting a quick jump at the snap and helping generate pressure that led to a teammate’s sack.

“I haven’t hit anyone in the game in 30 years,” he told ESPN. “I was eager.”

Buzzard was partly inspired by the story of Tom Green, a 60-year-old retired businessman and cancer survivor who made the football team in 2025 at McDaniel College, an NCAA Division III school in Maryland.

His goals extend beyond the field.

“Jesus calls us to be in the world, but not of the world,” Buzzard told Sports Spectrum. “That’s very much how I’m looking at this. I’m on the field, in the locker room. I’m not going around telling people I’m a pastor. People found that out over time. I’m not just walking around preaching the Gospel. I’m walking around very much just being myself and trusting that guys are seeing, ‘There’s something unique about this guy. God’s at work in his life.’”

He told Sports Spectrum his week is packed as never before, with football practice Monday through Friday, a game on Saturday, college classes he must take to remain eligible, family life and – of course, church responsibilities.

“Certainly my hope is that I would have an eternal impact here,” he said. “I hope to have an impact on the team right now in terms of our play and what we actually do on the field. I want to help my team win through my presence on and off the field, but I hope I have an eternal impact on the guys.”

Meanwhile, Buzzard is keeping his goals for the year simple.

“I’m hoping my body holds up and I can go through all 10 of our scheduled games,” he said.

The 47-year-old defensive end realizes his story is unusual – and says it has already led to plenty of positive feedback from men his age.

“They’re going, ‘Hey, I want to get in shape,’ or ‘I want to challenge myself. I don’t want to just kind of stay stagnant. I want a new challenge.’ So the fact that that’s happening, that’s an awesome byproduct. I want to enjoy this whole ride.”

(Image credit: San Jose City College)