Austin College kicker becomes oldest player in college history
By Jeff Kelly, Austin College
Nov 15, 2009
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SHERMAN, Texas – Point after attempts are usually considered to be mundane plays in football, but on Saturday afternoon at Jerry Apple Stadium it was an extra point that made history for the Austin College football team and placekicker Tom Thompson.  That’s because Thompson, a graduate student at Austin College, is 61 years old. 

By taking the field against Trinity on Saturday, Thompson became the oldest player in college football history.  The 61-year-old kicker, who is in his second year at Austin College, ran onto the field early in the second quarter after the ’Roos scored on a 47-yard-run by freshman Phillip Gonzales, and drilled the extra point to tie the game at 7-7. 

Previously, the oldest player in college history was believed to have been Mike Flynt, who suited up for Sul Ross State University during the 2007 season.   

Austin College athletic teams participate as a member of the NCAA Division III and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. 

About Austin College 

Austin College is a leading national independent liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas.  Founded in 1849, making it the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original charter and name, the college is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA). Recognized nationally for academic excellence in the areas of international education, pre-professional training, and leadership studies, Austin College is one of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives.