Tom Cillo is hoping to prove that age is nothing but a number — even on the football field.
Cillo, 58, is currently a freshman defensive lineman for the Division III Lycoming College football team in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
“I thought, I’m going to give this a shot and I’m going to write the script,’“ Cillo told WNEP TV before the start of the 2025 season. “I’m not going to let somebody talk me out of this or self-doubt pull me back.”
Cillo is four years older than his head coach, Mike Clark, and all three of Cillo’s kids are older than any of his teammates.
New Kansas City Chiefs PA Announcer Talks 'Tough Situation' With Dale Carter
More than four decades after graduating from Williamsport High School, Cillo is giving football another shot after quitting the high school team during his freshman year and getting involved with drugs and alcohol.
“Honestly, I would have liked to have done this right out of high school, but the indiscretions of my youth prevented that,” Cillo told The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Cillo has been hitting the books, too. He’s majoring in Criminal Justice at Lycoming while he lives out his gridiron dreams.
For more on Cillo’s journey, keep reading.
How Did 58-Year-Old Tom Cillo Come to Play College Football?
Having never attended college, Cillo hit up Lycoming coach Mike Clark and asked for a meeting.
As an NCAA Division III school, Lycoming does have an age limit on student athletes.
“My standard kind of joke is that, if he looked like the 58-year-old version of me, I would never let him play,” Clark told The Philadelphia Inquirer before the start of the 2025 season. “But he’s legitimately strong and he’s taking really good care of his body. That doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy for him, but his desire to do it was really strong.”
Clark added, “He wants to chase the dream. And even if he doesn’t play a significant number of plays for us, I do think there’s awesome value in what he can help teach the guys on our team.”
Cillo did not see any playing action during Lycoming’s first two games, both losses.
What Was Tom Cillo Doing Before He Enrolled at Lycoming College?
Cillo resigned from his job as an equipment manager at his alma mater, Williamsport High School, to be a full-time student at Lycoming.
“When I was a young lad, I would walk through there every day to get to the YMCA,” Cillo told the Williamsport Sun Gazette in August about the Lycoming campus. “I’ve just always had an affection for the college and that’s one of the reasons I want to make it work there.”
Cillo is the father to three children: son Shawn, 32, daughter Nicole, 28, and son Ryan, 21.
Cillo Is an Accomplished Powerlifter
Cillo has a decades-long history of competing in powerlifting, Strongman competitions and has run multiple half-marathons.
Last year, Cillo broke the Pennsylvania state deadlift record (580 pounds) for the 55-59 age group.
“In the weight room, he’s a beast,” Cillo’s teammate, defensive back Mario Samony, told WNEP. “He can throw around some weight. He could deadlift. I’ve seen a video of him pulling a fire truck. It just gets the energy going, makes people want to lift heavier. It just makes our team better.”
Cillo Gets Mistaken for a Coach on Campus
It’s not every day that a 58-year-old roams a college campus — not as a student, at least.
When Cillo first arrived and attempted to enter the dining hall, staff members would hold out a chart for him to sign, assuming he was a coach.
“They would hold the chart out for me and I would say, ‘I’m a player,’” Cillo told The Philadelphia Inquirer. “And one woman said, ‘Oh, come on, stop.’ I think some people are still getting accustomed to the idea of this guy.”