Alva Review-Courier -

Many of us, regardless of our age, like to think that we can still do the things we used to do when we were younger.

That idea was certainly on the minds of three former football players who decided that – because they had graduated or dropped out of college before using up all of their athletic eligibility – they would return to school and complete their studies while also playing football.

The only problem the three men faced, however, was that by the time the urge to return to the athletic glory days of their youth hit them, they were each more than 60 years old!

First up was Edgard (Ed) Barreto, who was born in April 1937 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. While growing up in this native country, Ed became a dedicated and talented soccer player.

In the 1950s he came to the United States to attend Ashland University in Ohio. His athletic ability allowed him to make the school’s football team where he played some on defense as a safety but mostly toiled on “special” teams during kickoffs and punts.

Barreto last played football for Ashland in 1958. He soon graduated with a degree in science and became a public school teacher.

Meanwhile, he remained extremely physically active, supplementing his teaching income by conducting soccer clinics and teaching the game to aspiring young players.

He also enjoyed running marathons. In 1993 Barreto made it into the Guinness Book of World Records by completing 101 such races in a calendar year!

In 1997 Ed returned to Ashland to work on a master’s degree. He also walked onto the football team to use up his last year of eligibility. On November 1, 1997, at the age of 60, Ed Barreto played one down on defense in the final minute of a 28-0 Ashland victory over St. Francis College.

At that point in time Ed Barreto became the oldest person ever to play in a college football game. But records are made to be broken – as we will see next week.