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Injuries caught up to the oldest college football player in America.
James Stefanou, a 33-year-old kicker at Colorado, who is from Australia, suffered the latest injury in a career full of them midway through the Buffaloes’ season opener against UCLA, Buff Stampede reported.
Stefanou ended his college career as one of the most accurate kickers in program history. He is first in extra-point percentage, fourth in field-goal percentage, and third in combined kick percentage. He also finishes eighth all-time on the Buffaloes’ scoring chart with 199, the fourth-most by a kicker.
“James feels that he can no longer physically perform as well as he would like and has decided to end his career,” Colorado head coach Karl Dorrell said in a press release. “He has been a valuable member of the team for three years, and we understand why he has made this choice. We certainly wish him nothing but the best.”
Two months after he had hip surgery in the offseason, in February, Stefanou and his wife Laura welcomed a daughter into the world.
Stefanou shared his perspective on the move on social media.
“I wish I could finish what I started here at CU, although unfortunately during the game on the weekend my body faced another setback that told me it might be time to call this,” he wrote After many tough discussions and plenty of thinking, I’ve decided to end my playing career as a kicker and a Buff. What an honor it was to wear the CU colors and represent this amazing program.
— James Stefanou (@jstefanou15) November 10, 2020
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
