edited by Nikola Tzenov
At an age when most athletes have long since left the field, 60-year-old Tom Green is suiting up for spring football practice at McDaniel College, lining up alongside teammates less than half his age.
Green, a Stage 4 kidney cancer survivor, business owner and full-time student, has returned to college decades after first leaving school — and walked on to the Division III program in Westminster, Maryland. This spring, he is participating in the team’s 2026 practices, continuing a journey shaped by illness, financial loss and rebuilding.
“It’s never too late to start again,” Green said in an interview.
Green’s path to the field was anything but conventional. He said he lost nearly everything financially before being diagnosed with advanced cancer. After surviving the disease, he chose to rebuild his life — enrolling in college and pursuing a long-held dream of playing football.
Now, his daily routine includes early morning workouts, sprint and agility drills and weight training sessions with teammates often one-third his age. On the field and in the locker room, the age gap is evident, but so is the mutual respect.
Coaches and players describe Green as both a teammate and a source of inspiration, bringing perspective shaped by adversity and perseverance.
Green has branded his journey “0to60in6decades,” a message aimed at encouraging others to rethink aging and pursue new goals regardless of stage in life.
“I want people to see that age can be an asset,” he said. “You can still chase something meaningful.”
McDaniel College’s spring football practice runs from March 30 through April 10, with sessions held at Kenneth Gill Stadium.
Green said his goal extends beyond football. Through his story, he hopes to inspire people recovering from illness, facing setbacks or considering a return to school or fitness later in life.
“For me, it’s about showing what’s possible,” he said.
