When he is not looking out for campus safety, Sgt. Jordan Mirakian is most likely out in the football field playing for the San Diego Enforcers, a team that also includes local firefighters and paramedics.
The Enforcers are part of the National Public Safety Football League made up of 28 teams and is also a non-profit organization whose “goal is to earn money for charities viaspirited play,” according to the league’s Web site.
Mirakian said the Enforcers have raised about $100,000 for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
The 34-year-old said he has played for the team since its inception, five years ago, and has enjoyed the second chance at playing football.
“I’ve always been an athlete. I played football in high school and in college I chose baseball over football,” Mirakian said. “There was always a part of me that regretted that and when (the Enforcers) started, I saw a second chance to play tackle football.”
Mirakian encourages people to look up You Tube videos of the team at play. He said people don’t believe him when he says it’s tackle football.
“People think it’s sandlot football, but I tell people to watch a video,” Mirakian stated. “People are surprised that we actually hit.”
Campus police officer Jarad Preston also plays football for the Enforcers. Preston said he enjoys the opportunity to raise funds for the community.
“I love playing football,” Preston explained. “This is such a great opportunity for us to give back to charity and play this game we love.”
Mirakian said Preston is one of the best players on the team, since he played for Miami University and for a while on the National Football League.
Mesa College football coach Thad Porlis is also the coach for the Enforcers. He said he likes coaching the team because they play for a good cause.
“I love coaching these men because they are not only athletes, they’re heroes in the community,” Porlis said. “These guys take this game seriously and they respect (the) game.”
Mirakian said the upcoming season will be his last to make time to continue his education.
“I will be dedicating more time to my career,” Mirakian explained. “I need to get my bachelor’s degree so I can compete for a lieutenant position. At some point you have to prioritize (and) I’ve been putting (school) off.”
