Cancer Survivor, 60, Training for College Football at 61

At 60 years old, most people are thinking about retirement. Tom Green is thinking about his first college football game.

Green, a kidney cancer survivor and father of five, enrolled at McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland last year with an ambitious double goal. He's earning a political science degree and training to become the oldest college football player in history.

The record he's chasing belongs to Alan Moore, who kicked an extra point for Faulkner University at age 61 in 2011. But Green isn't aiming for a single play cameo. He's training to play defensive end, one of the most physically demanding positions on the field.

Green's journey to this moment started decades ago with semi-pro football, followed by a battle with kidney cancer in the 2010s that he won. After raising five children, he decided it wasn't too late to chase an athletic dream most people abandon by age 25.

He'll turn 61 in June 2026, just in time for McDaniel College's Division III football season. If he takes the field, he'll shatter Moore's record and prove that age is just a number when passion meets perseverance.

Why This Inspires

Green's story resonates beyond the football field. He's showing that life's setbacks don't have to define your future. Cancer didn't stop him. Raising a family didn't stop him. Turning 60 didn't stop him.

His decision to play defensive end rather than attempt an easier record with a single kicking play reveals something deeper about his character. He's not looking for a gimmick or a shortcut. He wants to earn his place on the team and contribute meaningfully.

The increasing presence of older athletes in college sports challenges our assumptions about when dreams expire. Green's journey asks a powerful question: What would you chase if age wasn't holding you back?

McDaniel College's willingness to welcome a student athlete in his sixties also reflects changing attitudes about who belongs on campus and on the field. Education and athletics aren't just for the young anymore.

Green's teammates will range from teenagers to early twenties, but they'll share the field with someone who brings life experience, resilience, and an appreciation for every moment that only comes with age. That's a lesson worth more than any playbook.

Come June 2026, football fans will watch a 61-year-old line up at defensive end, proving that it's never too late to write a new chapter.