College football fans were baffled by the story of freshman defensive lineman Tom Cillo, who made it to the roster of Lycoming College at the age of 58.The Division III school has a player who is making rounds on the internet not just by his advanced age but by how he worked his way out of the trap of drugs to return to the sport he loves.Fans reacted to Cillo's story on social media, with one user pointing out the reality of life in his tweet."Life is short for sure," the fan wrote.AM @am19751990LINKLife is short for sureAnother fan was amazed by the freshman's determination to pursue his dream, regardless of his age."Ridiculous," he posted.SF55 @SFerb55LINKRidiculousSome fans posted hilarious reactions, with one fan asking if Cillo was playing college football while receiving a pension.Jermaine Faultman @CouchPotato1965LINKDamn so he’s living in a pension while playing college football?Patrick Bates @ptbt70LINKIt's crazy bro. Probably has good health insuranceLeonard Washington @lenny_b15LINKCollecting social security while being a freshman on a DIII college football team is absolutely absurd 😂😂Other fans admired Cillo for his courage to return to school and play the sport he had left behind in high school due to his addiction to drugs.Underdog U Show @underdogushowLINKRespect to Tom Cillo. Not just suiting up, but chasing a dream decades later. That’s bigger than football — that’s life. 🙌 #D3football #UnderdogMindsetOprah Son @realoprahsonLINKI love itThe Random Recruiter @randomrecruiterLINKThis is awesomeBall Don’t Lie @BallDontLieHQLINKFrom drugs to football at fifty eight? How can you not love college footballInterestingly, Cillo quit his job as general manager of Williamsport's streets and parks department to pursue his dream of playing college football.Tom Cillo's desire for a change of scenery motivated him to try out for college footballTom Cillo wanted a change of scenery after working for three decades in making the city's streets orderly and worth traveling. It was his restlessness to venture into meaningful things that led him to try the sport.“I don’t know if ‘bored’ is the word I would use — just mundane, you know?” Cillo said. “I was going through the same motions day after day and I felt like I needed a change. And what does a 58-year-old dude do when they want change? They go play college football, right?”However, it's not just the hang of experiencing to play for a college football team that pushed him to decide on returning to school. He wants to finish college as well."There are things I still want to prove to myself in life … clearly that’s one of those items," he said.After enrolling at Lycoming College and enlisting himself to play college football, Cillo worked out with younger football aspirants. He lifted weights, ran with them and performed conditioning exercises just like a typical football player with no special treatment.And from that, he earned the respect of his younger teammates."We had to do some lifting tests and conditioning tests and they were really not an issue for me,” Cillo said. "I think the guys respected that … I didn’t want it handed to me. I wanted to go in there and earn it."Lycoming opens its 2025-26 campaign at home on Sept. 6 and Cillo is excited to run to the field and play the sport he loves so much.