When a team sets out to find a quarterback, it often looks not only for a guy with the skills to be successful but also someone who might be a little more mature than other players.
At Division III Blackburn College, the Beaver's have found a player of that maturity. But, then again, what would you expect from a 34-year-old man? That is the age of sophomore quarterback Tom Fox, the oldest player in NCAA college football. Fox is older than four assistant coaches on the Beavers' staff.
Fox, who graduated from high school during the Reagan administration, worked for his father after high school and eventually bought a bar in Montana.
He became tired of spending late nights at the bar. He worked out religiously, losing 40 pounds. After phone calls to football programs across the country, Fox finally found a taker in Blackburn a few days before spring practice started last year.
"I never played football in high school and it was really one of the things that I regretted," Fox said. "I took stock of where I was in my life, and I decided that football was something that I wanted to do, even though I had never played in my life before."
Fox has started one game for the Beavers this year and has played in four others. Blackburn coaches were immediately impressed by the 6-foot-3, 200-pound Fox when he came to camp last year. He possessed the character that made up for his lack of skills.
"He brings stability to the scene and his execution is pretty flawless," head coach Skip Mathieson told ESPN.com. "He's very adept at doing things the way you program him to do them and there's a place for that, particularly with a young quarterback that's adjusting."
Sports were a major part of Fox's life as a young boy. He was one of the best junior tennis players in Montana, and his parents sent him to Nick Bollettieri's Tennis Academy in Florida. His classmates included tennis greats Andre Agassi and Monica Seles. He left the academy as the top-rated junior in Montana. But Fox quickly lost interest in tennis and decided not to pursue it in college.
After Fox turned 30, he decided that he wanted to play football. He never got the opportunity to as a child because he was so involved with tennis. He thought about coaching football in the future, and he felt that without any playing experience, it would be a difficult task. After talking it over with his family, Fox set out for Carlinville, Ill.
"When I came here, I was 32 and we had a couple of guys on the team that were 17," Fox said. "But my age has never been a factor. Every now and then we'll joke about it, but all of the coaches and players have been really accepting."
Blackburn is a small college located outside of Springfield, Ill., and has about 600 students. Fox is on track to graduate next year from Blackburn with a degree in political science, and he currently has a 4.0 grade-point average. Fox is almost twice the age of many teammates and has a 13-year-old daughter, but he feels like he couldn't have found a better place to try and pursue his dream.
"I definitely don't feel like I'm 34," Fox said. "I am really glad that I've had an opportunity to do this because when I tell my daughter later in life that she should pursue her dreams, it would be difficult to tell her that if I didn't do the same thing for myself."
SYRACUSE (+18) AT No. 4 VIRGINIA TECH
Saturday, noon, ESPN
The Orangemen and the nation's leading rusher, Walter Reyes, visit Blacksburg, Va., this weekend to square off against the No. 4 Hokies.
Syracuse has been impressive in its previous two games, mainly because of Reyes's performance, but it hasn't faced a defense like Virginia Tech's all season.
Pick: Virginia Tech 35, Syracuse 17
No. 23 MICHIGAN STATE (-3.5) AT ILLINOIS
Saturday, noon, ESPN 2
Michigan State has revived its program this year, bouncing back from a 4-8 season last year to crack the Top 25. A win against the Fighting Illini will be crucial for the Spartans - they face ranked opponents in the following four weeks.
Illinois was pummeled Saturday by Purdue, 43-10, and it will look for any improvement in this game. Spartan quarterback Jeff Smoker has reverted back to his old form this season, throwing for 1,500 yards and 10 touchdowns through six games.
Pick: Michigan State 24, Illinois 7
No. 2 MIAMI (-7) AT No. 5 FLORIDA STATE
Saturday, noon, ABC
Miami is coming off a game against West Virginia in which it only managed to get the ball into the end zone once. The trend will continue for the 'Canes after losing star running back Frank Gore for the second consecutive season to a knee injury.
Florida State boasts a solid ground game with senior running back Greg Jones as the main ball carrier. Jones had a huge day against Miami last year, rushing for 189 yards on 31 carries. The Seminoles will use Jones as a decoy to allow quarterback Chris Rix to throw the ball downfield.
Pick: FSU 20, Miami 17
No. 1 OKLAHOMA (-5.5) AT No. 11 TEXAS
Saturday, 3:30 p.m., ABC
The Longhorns have lost to Oklahoma the last three years in one of the biggest rivalries in the country. Texas is coming off a come-from-behind 24-20 victory against Kansas State and senior wide receiver Roy Williams is putting up decent stats after an injury-plagued junior year.
Oklahoma is once again sitting atop the polls and is led by experienced senior Jason White, who is having one of his best seasons - 16 touchdown passes and a 67.5 completion percentage.
The Longhorns' bad luck against the Sooners will continue again this season. Don't expect the game to be that close.
Pick: Oklahoma 48, Texas 17
NOTRE DAME (+9.5) AT No. 15 PITTSBURGH
Saturday, 6 p.m., ESPN
After opening the season with a 29-26 win over Washington State, the Fighting Irish have dropped three straight and looked awful in the process.
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