47-year-old California pastor makes college football roster 30 years after an injury ended his career

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.

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. Buzzard played football in high school and continued into college before injuries forced him to stop in the 1990s. Decades later, a video showing an older man playing football prompted his son to ask whether his father could make a similar comeback.

Buzzard took the challenge seriously, began training again and eventually contacted San José City 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.

How a 47-year-old California pastor returned to college football

Buzzard's return began with a challenge from his son rather than a long-planned attempt to revive his football 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.

Buzzard initially thought the suggestion was unrealistic, but the idea stayed with him. He eventually contacted San José City College and asked about the possibility of joining the football 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. He began conditioning and participating in practices during the summer, working towards the same goal as much younger players.

The decision represented a return to a sport he had left behind almost 30 years earlier after injuries ended his original playing career.

An injury ended his first football career in the 1990s

Buzzard already had years of football experience before his unusual 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. Nearly three decades later, he has returned to the field as a defensive end for the San José City College Jaguars.

His age makes the comeback unusual, but his previous experience also means he is not learning football from scratch.

The challenge has instead been rebuilding the physical conditioning required to play a demanding contact sport after years away. Buzzard has spoken about wanting to remain healthy while competing alongside players who are young enough to be his children. His return is therefore not simply a symbolic appearance.

He has gone through the process of training, practising and earning a place on the 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. 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. His teammates have reportedly given him the nickname "OG", reflecting his status as the oldest player in the group.

San José City College coach Jim Winkler told ChurchLeaders that Buzzard was expected to follow the same standards and rules as everyone else on the team. Buzzard has also made clear that he does not want younger players to go easy on him because of his age. His goal is to compete on the field rather than simply serve as an inspirational presence on the 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.

His family had concerns about the physical risks

Buzzard's decision to return to contact football also required support from his 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. 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. Her position later softened, and reports say she now has his games on her calendar and plans to support him.

Buzzard has also emphasised the importance of staying healthy as he prepares for the season. The concern is understandable given that injuries were what ended his original football career. His comeback therefore involves a genuine physical risk, particularly because he is returning to a contact sport after a prolonged absence. Nevertheless, Buzzard has continued with the programme and has made clear that he wants to see how far he can take the 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. 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. His football comeback has naturally become connected to that 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.

The football experiment gives him a personal example of that philosophy. He is attempting something physically demanding that he had not done for decades while continuing his responsibilities as a pastor, husband and father. His return has therefore become more than a sports story for him. It is also an example of the idea that people can revisit ambitions they once considered finished.

His goal is to compete during the 2026 season

Making the roster was only the first milestone in Buzzard's comeback.

He wants to remain healthy, participate in the season and have an opportunity to contribute on the field. He wears No. 48, a reference to the age he will turn in September. His preparation has involved training alongside much younger athletes, and he has said that he does not expect special treatment because of his age. The San José City College Jaguars are preparing for the 2026 season, giving Buzzard the opportunity to turn an unusual comeback story into an actual competitive season.

How much playing time he receives remains to be seen, and simply making the roster does not guarantee that he will appear regularly in games. For now, however, he has achieved the part that once seemed almost impossible. A career that ended with injury in the 1990s has been revived nearly three decades later, after a conversation with his son gave him the push to try again.

A decades-old football dream has a second chance

Buzzard's story stands out because the comeback was not the result of a professional opportunity or a carefully planned athletic campaign.

It began with his son showing him a video of an older football player and asking a simple question. Buzzard could have dismissed the idea because of his age, his previous injuries or the decades that had passed since he last played. Instead, he decided to find out whether a return was possible.

He trained, approached a college programme and eventually earned his place alongside players decades younger than him. Whether he becomes a regular contributor during the season remains uncertain, but the achievement has already given him the chance to finish a chapter that was abruptly ended by injury. For Buzzard, the return to football is also an opportunity to demonstrate the message he has encouraged others to follow: an old setback does not necessarily have to determine what comes next.