Virginia's 34-Year-Old Kicker Just Played In His First Football Game Ever

Things didn't go so well for the Virginia Cavaliers on Saturday. But it's still a day Matt Ganyard will never forget.

When the kickoff specialist took the field at Nissan Stadium, he was suited up for his first football game. And unlike the freshmen on the team, Ganyard is getting his start at the ripe old age of 34.

The pressure is nothing for him, though. Because while his teammates were chasing girls and taking high school final exams, Ganyard was flying helicopters and serving our country in the Middle East.

Ganyard served 10 years in the United States Marine Corps, and he taught himself to kick a pigskin while on deployment. He said he worked on his skills at every stop — even practicing in random fields in countries like Jordan. He watched YouTube videos to learn tricks and techniques.

So when Ganyard returned to pursue his M.B.A. at Virginia's Darden School of Business, he thought, Why not walk on to the football team?

A soccer player in high school, Ganyard had tried out for the Virginia football team before — back in 2009. But he didn't make the squad.

Every student has five years of eligibility that starts when you step on campus. Ganyard's clock started in 2008, but — thanks to an NCAA rule — it paused in 2011 when he went active duty. He applied for a waiver, but the NCAA initially denied it. So with the help of UVA, he filed an appeal. And it worked.

"I think one of the greatest things somebody can give is their time, and they put in so much time and effort to make this waiver of possibility. So I can't thank them enough," Ganyard told USA Today.

Matt Ganyard Suits Up For Virginia

For a guy who can fly a AH-1 Cobra helicopter, you'd think football would be a walk in the park. But with a new endeavor comes new challenges. Namely, the uniform and the generation gap between Ganyard and his teammates.

"I don't know enough about football," Ganyard said. "I'm still learning, and putting on the pads was one thing. I look over to Vadin next to me and say, 'Okay, so this goes on first?' I felt like the scene from Little Giants where he holds up the cup: 'Does this go here?'"

No one understood the reference to the 1994 film. Because they weren't born until a decade later.

And the Virginia players are happy to remind Ganyard about his "old age," too. Pop-Pop, Grandpa and Uncle Matt are just a few of his nicknames. But he says it's all in good fun.

"I think they've realized in the past three weeks that I'm just another guy with a little more life experience, but at the end of the day, I'm just another guy here to help the team succeed on the field," he said.

Ganyard got his first start on kickoffs Saturday against the Tennessee Volunteers. The Cavaliers lost 49-13. But for Captain "Puff" Ganyard, it was still a lifelong dream realized.

So he might be "old" to a bunch of college kids. But Matt Ganyard has accomplished more in just 34 years than most people ever will.