It’s not every day you see a man return to a college athletic field decades after leaving it, but Justin Buzzard decided his time wasn’t quite up.
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Buzzard, 47, is a South Bay pastor who made the San Jose City College (SJCC) Jaguars football roster. He is pursuing a long‑delayed football dream while continuing his daily work as a pastor, author, husband, and father.
This unusual comeback caught attention when NBC Bay Area reporter Raj Mathai featured him in a broadcast interview. Buzzard explained his decision and shared what the opportunity means to him.
The idea began after he saw a social media video of a man in his 60s playing football on the East Coast. That clip made him question whether his own football dream was finished. Instead of just wondering, he contacted San Jose City College.
He is now returning to competitive college sports decades after his earlier playing days, lining up again as a defensive end, the position he played during his first college experience.
Buzzard first enrolled at Whitworth College in Washington. A frustrating injury, combined with the harsh climate, led him to transfer to Westmont College in California. He graduated from Westmont in 2000, having played defensive end with some reps at outside linebacker.
After reaching out to an SJCC coach, he made the roster around late July and received jersey No. 48, matching the age he is about to turn.
This football experience fits with his public message about men taking risks and refusing to live too small. He talks about a “RISK or RUST” philosophy and encourages people to “play big” with their lives.
The Pastor, Father, and Unlikely Football Player Behind the Helmet
Buzzard is the founder and lead pastor of Garden City Church in the San Jose/Silicon Valley area. He is also a published author, with books such as Date Your Wife and Why Cities Matter.
He is married to Taylor and is the father of three sons, all athletes themselves—making football and sports a familiar part of their home environment.
SJCC’s Jaguars football program, as a community‑college team, provides opportunities for non‑traditional students and walk‑ons that would be difficult to find at the highest NCAA levels.
At 47, Buzzard is not the oldest player to ever suit up in college football. Alan Moore and Tom Thompson played at 61, Mike Flynt at 59, Tom Cillo at 58, and Joe Thomas Sr. at 55—all in lower‑level college football such as Division III, NAIA, and community‑college settings.
Looking ahead to the rest of the 2026 season, Buzzard’s next challenge is earning an opportunity to appear in games.