College Football's Oldest FBS Player Retires After Living Separate Life Working At A Paper Mill In Australia

Tom Hutton's college football career has come to an unfortunate, early end. As a result, he is no longer the oldest player on the FBS level.

Hutton, the punter for Oklahoma State, is 32 years old. He announced earlier this week that his 2022 season, and college career, has come to a close.

Technically, due to the blanket waiver that was granted to all collegiate athletes during the COVID-hindered 2020 season, Hutton could return for one final season in 2023. However, he has said many times before that he does not intend to use his additional year of eligibility.

As a result, Hutton's college career is over at the age of 32.

The announcement comes after he suffered a season-ending injury during the fourth quarter of Oklahoma State's 48-0 loss to Kansas State last weekend. Hutton tried to help make a tackle, went down, and never returned to action. He needed crutches to get off of the field.

Prior to the announcement, Hutton was the oldest player on the FBS level. His story is rather unique.

Hutton did not play American football until 2018. He was born on March 3, 1990 in Australia, grew up playing Aussie-rules football and eventually went pro with Yallourn-Yallourn North of the Mid Gippsland Football League. Hutton had 40 goals in 2015 and 27 goals in 2017.

In addition to having nearly a decade of experience as a carpenter and foreman, and his career on the Aussie football pitch, he was also working four, 12-hour shifts at a paper mill every week.

Tom Hutton's college football career came later than most.

Not long thereafter, Hutton was connected with the ProKick Australia program, which helps teach Aussie-rules players to use their legs as punters. Multiple graduates of the program have gone on to earn D-I scholarships and it has even produced three Ray Guy Award winners— the Heisman for punters.

The rest is history. He received an opportunity to play for the Cowboys and committed to Mike Gundy's program at 28 years old.

While Hutton has not and will not win the Ray Guy award, his career was impressive. In 2022, he leads the Big 12 with 18 punts downed inside the 20-yard line, leads the conference with 1,929 net yards, and also set up a pair of safeties against Central Michigan and Baylor.

Hutton could choose to pursue a career in the NFL, but it seems as though he is hanging it up. Either way, the oldest active player on the FBS level is moving on from college football.