A 60-year-old man whose deep faith in God helped him beat cancer is now believed to be the oldest college football player in America.
Tom Green is getting ready to play football with his team at McDaniel College in Maryland, and his incredible story is inspiring others to live life to the fullest, ABC News 4 reported Tuesday.
Green, who is now the owner of pallet company Northeast Custom Pallets in Pennsylvania, did not get to attend college in his younger years and has faced many challenges throughout his life.
He was diagnosed with stage four kidney cancer in 2015 and wrote in a blog post on the Kidney Cancer Association website that his faith was tested when he learned about his illness.
“Up to 2008, I was known for two things my wealth and my strength. As a successful land speculator, people respected me, or at least they respected what I had accomplished. Unfortunately, both money and power vanished in just a few tumultuous, faith-testing years that included economic recession, bankruptcy, and leaving my family business to pivot to a new career. In that time, my mother passed from cancer,” he said, adding he felt like the patriarch Job in the Bible who lost his wealth, possessions, and health.
He underwent treatments that zapped all of his energy, but Green said his wife and others were praying for him and he underwent a spiritual transformation.
“Later my pastor would tell me that’s when Job was restored when he forgave his friends God would restore all that was taken from him,” Green wrote.
Green’s cancer eventually disappeared as he continued treatment, and he said, “My doctor has since told me to leave the hospital and never return. I have never seen anything like your case; you are a miracle child. Funny, I just believe in the God of miracles. Hope was always there.”
Now, Green is having the time of his life as a defensive lineman with teammates, who are much younger than him.
“The laughter, oh I love that part. You know, we laugh. I mean they act like their age, you know, and that’s the best part. I love to cut out and just like the rest of the guys,” he commented.
Green said playing college football has been a dream since he was a young man:
“Here I am at 60, I said, ‘Why not?’” he stated, adding that “I don’t want to just be the oldest guy on the field. I want to be the best.”