In the age of the transfer portal and COVID-19 years, college football has seen some older-than-usual athletes in the last part of the decade.
However, the oldest player in 2024 will be a true freshman who has never transferred or used an extra year of eligibility. The oldest players of all time have unique journeys that culminate in fulfilling a lifelong dream of playing college football.
So, who is the oldest player suiting up in college football in 2024, and who are the oldest players of all time?
This Season’s Oldest College Football Player Is Monte Harrison, Not Cam McCormick
At 29 years old, Monte Harrison will be the oldest Division I college football player in 2024, and he’s a true freshman. Harrison’s journey is more interesting than that of the typical oldest college football player. The fact that he’s a true freshman immediately sets him apart from others in previous college football seasons.
A decade after signing with Nebraska out of Lee’s Summit West High School in Missouri, Harrison is set to embark on his long-awaited college football journey. Now 29, Harrison will debut as a true freshman for the Arkansas Razorbacks when they face Arkansas-Pine Bluff at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock on August 29.
Harrison’s path to the gridiron has been anything but conventional. A standout football prospect in the Class of 2014, he was also drafted 50th overall by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2014 MLB Draft.
Instead of pursuing a dual-sport career at Nebraska, where he had committed, Harrison chose to go straight into professional baseball. Over the next ten years, he played in the Brewers, Miami Marlins, and Los Angeles Angels organizations. Though he reached the major leagues, Harrison appeared in just 50 games across three seasons, posting a .176 batting average with two home runs, six RBIs, and seven stolen bases.
When Harrison’s second stint with the Brewers ended in September, he turned the page on his baseball career and revisited his football aspirations. Despite his extensive experience in baseball, Harrison retained all four years of college football eligibility since he had never enrolled in college.
Arkansas brought him in as a walk-on receiver in May, and he quickly earned praise during fall camp. Harrison, who now stands at 6-foot-3 and 228 pounds, made a strong impression by catching a 55-yard touchdown pass from redshirt freshman quarterback Malachi Singleton during the team’s first scrimmage.
Harrison’s return to football adds an intriguing layer to the Razorbacks’ offense as they prepare for the upcoming season. Fans are eager to see how his unique journey will unfold on the college stage.
While Harrison is the oldest college football player in 2024, who are the oldest college football players of all time?
Cam McCormick may be seen as the oldest player in college football, but he doesn’t own that distinction, as you can see above. However, what McCormick does own distinction wise is the fact that he’s been in college football the longest.
McCormick entered the 2024 season using what is now his ninth year of college eligibility. At 26 years old, he’s behind Harrison for oldest, but his many years of service at the college level is well documented and respectable in its own right. Here’s how it’s unfolded for McCormick:
- 2016: Redshirt season (Oregon)
- 2017: Full season (Oregon)
- 2018: Multiple leg injuries (Oregon)
- 2019: Ankle screw malfunction (Oregon)
- 2020: Ankle reconstruction (Oregon)
- 2021: Torn Achilles (Oregon)
- 2022: 3-touchdown season (Oregon)
- 2023: 11-game starter (Miami)
- 2024: Ninth year, scored first TD for ‘Canes (Miami)
A Look at Some of the Oldest College Football Players Ever
5) Bob Schembre
- Age While Playing: 52 years old
- College: Westminster College (Missouri)
- Year(s) Played: 2008
- Position: Linebacker
In 2008, Bob Schembre embarked on an unexpected journey with the Westminster Blue Jays, a Division III football team in Fulton, Mo.
With two sons who had previously played for Westminster, Schembre arranged a meeting with the coach, initially giving the impression that the discussion would be about his sons.
However, Schembre surprised the coach once the meeting began by expressing his desire to join the team. Intrigued, the coach offered him a tryout, and despite being a father of four and a grandfather of five, Schembre secured a spot on the roster as a third-string linebacker.
Schembre’s dedication culminated on Oct. 4, 2008, when he recorded his first official tackle during the fourth quarter of a commanding 48-6 victory over the Principia Panthers.
4) Joe Thomas Sr.
- Age While Playing: 55 years old
- College: South Carolina State University
- Year(s) Played: 2016
- Position: Running Back
Joe Thomas Sr., father of Dallas Cowboys linebacker Joe Thomas Jr., is the oldest person to play NCAA Division I football. At 55, after nearly four years of practicing with the South Carolina State Bulldogs, Thomas Sr. fulfilled his dream by stepping onto the field during the first quarter of Senior Day in 2016.
Decades earlier, he had been a star defensive lineman and running back for the Blackville Hawks in high school but chose to enter the workforce right after graduation. His return to football came much later in life, coinciding with his son’s time at South Carolina State.
While Thomas Sr. and his son never played together in a game, they did share the practice field before Thomas Jr. joined the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2014, creating a unique and memorable bond through their shared love of the game.
3) Mike Flynt
- Age While Playing: 59 years old
- College: Sul Ross State University (Texas)
- Year(s) Played: 2007
- Position: Linebacker
Before Tom Thompson broke the record in 2009, Mike Flynt was known as the oldest NCAA collegiate football player in history. At 59, Flynt made the extraordinary decision to re-enroll at his alma mater, Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas, to play one final football season. Years earlier, Flynt had been removed from the team before his senior year due to multiple campus altercations—a decision that left him with lingering regret.
The turning point came during a class reunion with his former teammates, where the conversation shifted to Flynt’s biggest regret: getting kicked off the team. When a friend challenged him to make amends, Flynt accepted the dare.
Unlike many older athletes making comebacks, Flynt was in outstanding physical condition. His strength and conditioning coach career at universities like Nebraska, Oregon, and Texas A&M kept him in peak shape.
He relocated his family from Franklin, Tenn., back to Alpine, Texas, with a renewed sense of purpose. With the backing of his former coach, Jerry Larned, Flynt convinced Lobos head coach Steve Wright that he still had what it took to compete despite being nearly 40 years older than his teammates and even 10 years older than his coach.
On October 13, 2007, Flynt returned to the gridiron, joining the Lobos at 59 in a thrilling triple-overtime showdown against Texas Lutheran.
2) Tom Thompson
- Age While Playing: 61 years old
- College: Austin College (Texas)
- Year(s) Played: 2009
- Position: Kicker
In 2009, at 61, Tom Thompson made history as the oldest player to participate in an NCAA football game while attending Austin College in Sherman, Texas.
Thompson played just one game that season but left his mark by successfully kicking an extra point—the only score for Austin College. This achievement made him the first college football player over 60 to score in an NCAA game.
Thompson’s return to football came nearly five decades after he last played organized football in high school. As a second-year graduate student, Thompson faced the challenge of convincing Austin College head coach Ronnie Gage that his intention to join the team was serious and not just a publicity stunt.
His persistence paid off, and he secured a spot on the team. Thompson later documented his incredible journey and the obstacles he overcame in his autobiography, offering insight into his pursuit of a lifelong dream.
1) Alan Moore
- Age While Playing: 61 years old
- College: Faulkner University (Alabama)
- Year(s) Played: 2011
- Position: Kicker
On Sept. 10, 2011, Alan Moore made history as he stepped onto the field for the Faulkner Eagles and drilled the team’s first extra point. While a routine play like this might typically fly under the radar in college football, it was anything but ordinary in Moore’s case. At 61, Moore was a grandfather of five, returning to the gridiron after last suiting up in 1968.
Hailing from Mt. Olive, Miss., Moore began his football journey as a freshman for the Jones College Bobcats. However, his playing days were cut short when he left college to serve in Vietnam. After his military service, Moore settled into a career in construction, but the dream of playing football never left him.
Years later, while visiting his grandchildren, Moore was inspired to return to the field after revisiting his old college. Determined to make a comeback, he built a goalpost in his daughter’s yard and dedicated countless hours to practice.
Although he didn’t make the Jones College roster at 59, Moore’s perseverance paid off when he secured a spot with the Holmes Community College Bulldogs the following year. His journey eventually brought him to Faulkner University, where he made history with that memorable kick.
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