Sarasota's 'Golden Gladiator' earns a spot in Guinness World Records

SARASOTA — The business card of Michael Lynch is a mini-version of the game Clue.

On the front, above his name, are the words The Golden Gladiator. On the back is a picture of a football player — presumably Lynch — playing in a game. Bordering the photo is the first real hint the 73-year-old Sarasotan and native of Bay Shore, New York, located on the South Shore of Long Island, is the walking, talking and breathing definition of "unique."

Guinness World Record Holder.

Published annually since 1955, the book contains more than 50,000 world records. There are such categories as largest living cat, longest nose on a living person, most socks put on one foot in 30 seconds, and most Smarties eaten in 60 seconds blindfolded using chopsticks.

Lynch occupies one a lot less wordy, a lot more identifiable, and, frankly, a lot more impressive. In 2018, Lynch played in a football game for the Southwest Florida Gladiators of the semi-professional Florida Football Alliance.

Lynch caught a touchdown pass in the game, a not-so-remarkable feat if the Lynch had been former Tampa Bay Buc John Lynch. But this was Michael Lynch, a walk-on at East Carolina, someone who earned tryouts with the baseball St. Louis Cardinals and New York Jets, someone who could serve as an inspiration to seniors everywhere.

When he played in that 2018 game, Michael Lynch was 68 years old.

It wasn't long after when a teammate said he would contact Guinness World Records and let it know of the guy who had played in a football game against men half his age, at an age when simply reaching for the TV remote could pull a muscle.

At the time, the category of oldest American football player belonged to a 59-year-old man. When the people at Guinness received Lynch's application, they spent nine months vetting him.

"They wanted notarized documents, they wanted film," Lynch said. "No one's going to sneak in, or BS their way in."

After nine months, satisfied Lynch wasn't trying to pull a fast/old one, the publication sent him a certificate of authentication. Officially, Lynch now occupied the category of oldest American football player.

"That's pretty heavy," he said. "I don't think anyone is actually (going to beat that). I never had any idea about any of this stuff. I didn't want to write a book, I didn't want to write a screenplay. I tell people it probably was the best four years of my life.

"I loved doing what I did. I loved going to practices, being with the guys. They'll tell you I was the first one on the practice field, and the last one to leave. Every practice."

So far, the screenplay, which took Lynch two years to write, hasn't gained any traction, despite Lynch taking it out to Hollywood. "I'm a dreamer," he said. "Somebody will pick us up to make a movie about it. Especially now, when all they want is content."

He's had far more success with the book, titled "The Golden Gladiator." Released in May and available on Amazon and through Barns & Noble Kindle, the 400-page-plus tome, which took Lynch four years to write, has gotten good online reviews.

"It's an inspirational story," he said. "It's about redemption. It's about love, the game. It's about interaction with other people."

And it might never have happened had not Lynch, a safety at East Carolina, who later ran for 30 years the largest adult softball league on Long Island, watched his nephew play in the 2012 Empire Challenge H.S. All-Star Game, originated by former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason and benefitting the Boomer Esiason Foundation.

"I was in New York for the summer and I went to the game, which was at Hofstra University," Lynch said. "I had a sideline pass and I see all the beautiful helmets, the jerseys. I said, 'I have to get back on the gridiron.'''

On his next visit to Sarasota, Lynch searched online for "semi-pro football." Essentially, "semi-pro" means participants earn money playing a sport part-time, but don't rely solely on the cash to live. Lynch's research turned up the Gladiators and Sarasota Millionaires, the latter coached by ex-NFL wide receiver Ernest Givens.

Lynch didn't immediately reach out to the Millionaires. He watched about half of their practices, but never spoke to Givens. Eventually, Lynch contacted team owner Calvin Williams, telling him he'd like to try out for next year's team. "'Do you know you'll be 20 years older than everyone?''' Williams asked him.

"'Calvin, I'm going to be 40 years older than everyone,''' Lynch replied.

"I always think you can do anything you set your mind to," Williams said, "so I never thought for one minute he was crazy. I just thought it was a man who was going after his dream. I never thought he was crazy, and I never tried to discourage him. He ended up being an inspiration to a lot of the guys who were on the team."

Williams told Lynch if he could pass the team's NFL-style combine, he could attend practice. The 6-foot, 185-pounder had stayed in shape his entire life — even today, at 73, Lynch does track workouts in mid-afternoon heat.

Realizing part of the combine would be the 225-pound bench press, Lynch practiced the lift in the gym. At the combine, he hoisted the weight five times. He had his spot at practice. And over the next four years, two with the Millionaires and two with the Gladiators, Lynch lived out his dream.

He made it on the field at wide receiver perhaps 10 times over those four years. Lynch caught a pass, a 2-point conversion, and in his final game in 2018, a touchdown. He figured the only way to get any meaningful playing time would be on special teams. "That's how I would get my licks in," Lynch said.

He did, playing on the Millionaires' kickoff, punt, and conversion teams. "I didn't get many tackles," Lynch said. "I mixed it up. I got my ass knocked."

After games, his body sported numerous bruises, but Lynch never broke a bone, or tore a ligament or tendon.

"He wasn't scared to go up against guys, even though he knew the end result could be him aching," Williams said. "Believe it or not, Mike was stronger than a lot of guys on the team. Age is definitely just a number."

After four seasons, feeling he had nothing left to prove, Lynch walked away, but not before winning a championship his final year with the Gladiators. The Millionaires eventually disbanded, but the Gladiators remained, and last year, told Lynch they'd love to have him back.

Lynch declined the invite. "I could get killed out there, literally," he said. "But it ended on a good note."

Besides, he had a book to complete, a story to tell. A story unique enough to put Mike Lynch into Guinness World Records.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: 'The Golden Gladiator' earns a spot in Guinness World Records