Add The California Post on Google SAN JOSE — Safe to assume, just about everybody who forked over $10 to sit on metal bleachers under the blazing sun Saturday afternoon shared some personal connection to the players making their season debuts on the turf at San Jose City College.
Justin Buzzard (48) gathers with his San Jose City College football teammates Saturday. The two dozen or so congregation members from nearby Garden City Church who were also on hand were probably the only ones who called one of them pastor.
That’s because Justin Buzzard isn’t like the rest of his teammates dressed in navy blue with gold numbers (who got thumped by the College of the Redwoods, 41-21).
He wears No. 48 because that’s how old he will be this year. He might be the only collegiate athlete in the country listed on his roster as a freshman who’s also a father of a college sophomore. He is closer in age to 60-year-old head coach Jim Winkler than anybody in uniform.
And yet, there he was, on the sideline of a real college football game, pads on, helmet in hand, a playsheet on his right wrist — just one of the guys.
Sure, it came in a 3C2A-level game, and sure, he saw only two snaps in a lopsided loss, but Buzzard can officially say he’s doing something that probably nobody else in the country can.
He’s a 47-year-old pastor playing college football.
“To me, when he’s on the field, in between the lines, there’s no difference,” Winkler said. “He’s just one of 105 guys that we have in the program. … Now, outside the lines?
“Well, obviously we don’t have to figure out who’s going to say the team prayer.”
He watched his youngest two sons begin their own football seasons Friday night at Lincoln High School. Then suited up himself for SJCC’s season opener bright and early Saturday (the kids were still sleeping when he had to leave his house, about a mile away, for an 8:30 calltime). Come Sunday morning, he’ll deliver a sermon for dozens of parishioners.
“It’s surprising that people have this much interest,” his wife of 23 years, Taylor, told The Post. “Because this is just completely aligned with Justin’s personality and who he is. … He is always thinking outside the box, trying new things, pushing limits and not concerned about pushing boundaries.
“Who would’ve known there’s no age limit in junior college football? And he loves football.”
Buzzard, who will turn 48 this year, has become a national sensation. What began as a private side quest has turned into a national sensation, with Buzzard giving interviews to Fox News and other national networks for his unique and inspiring endeavor. SJCC President Marilyn Flores said the small school has seen a boost in interest, and Buzzard’s conquest is apparently all the buzz among the students already on campus.
Buzzard’s initial football career, when he was the same age as everybody else, went as far as Division III Whitworth University but came to a halt because of a finger injury. He never lost the dream and stayed in shape by running, lifting weights and, more recently, taking up Krav Maga. His teammates and coaches said he has held his own in practice — and the weight room.
“I’m the one who’s in his lifting group — just me and him,” 6-foot-5 punter Preston Conrad said. “He motivates me. … I gotta give him props. His squat depth is insane. We’ll go 225 [pounds] and he has better depth than I do.”
When it came time for it to count, though, Buzzard mostly stayed on the sidelines. He’s third on the depth chart at defensive end and on the second special teams unit, according to Winkler.
His time finally came with 5:21 on the clock and the Jaguars trailing 41-7. A yell came from a college-aged player on the sidelines: “Get the cameras out!”
Buzzard lined up in a three-point stance and engaged the left tackle. He pushed the blocker back and opened a lane for a linebacker to streak in and sack the quarterback.
He got his hands on the quarterback, too, after he hit the ground. As he returned to the sideline, his teammates shouted his name in celebration of one of the day’s few highlights.
Before every season, Winkler picks one player to deliver the team prayer and bless their pregame meal. It wasn’t much of a question when there’s a professional in the house.
“Usually we nominate a player, who becomes the team preacher for that year or team pastor for that year,” Winker said. “So, yeah, we got a built-in one this year.”
