MUSKEGON – Tyler Bruce is going to celebrate his 32nd birthday on Saturday in the best way he can imagine – playing the game he loves, for the team he loves, with his two young children watching and cheering.

Bruce, a fourth-year standout wide receiver for the West Michigan Ironmen, is a Kalamazoo resident and single dad who juggles a lot of things in his life to keep his football career going.

Once a year, he tries to make sure that his kids – 10-year-old Lyla and and four-year-old Tyler Jr. – get to Muskegon for at least one game, and this year it’s going to be his birthday game.

He loves showing his kids that even old people (according to them) can still get out there and make things happen on the field.

“They enjoy it,” Bruce said. “They think it’s very cool that dad is still playing football. They think I’m old. My daughter teases me a little bit for still being out there.

“It’s going to a proud moment for me, having them see dad still playing at a high level.”

To say that Bruce is playing at a high level again this season is a bit of an understatement.

He already has nine touchdown receptions in three games, helping the Ironmen get off to a great 3-0 start this season.

He will be a main part of the attack again on Saturday night when the Ironmen host the Cedar Rapids Titans in a big American Arena Football league showdown.

Bruce is one of several receivers – including Toni Sok, Tyler Hunt and others – who click extremely well with veteran Ironmen quarterback Alex Carder, and give the team a passing attack that few defenses can stop.

“I’m just grateful for the opportunity to still be out there, and have the bond that I have formed with Alex over the last four years,” Bruce said.

In some ways Bruce is not your typical receiver, because, at 5-foot-7 and 150 pounds, he does not have what is considered to be the ideal size for a pass-catcher.

But Bruce, a former high school and college track standout, does have plenty of speed, and that allows him to leave defenders in his dust as he gets open to catch passes.

“In some ways the game is different than it is for 6-foot-2 receivers,” Bruce said. “It’s got its challenges, but also a lot of joy. A lot of people wish they had my speed, and some days I wish I was six feet tall. It goes both ways.”

Time catching up to the star receiver

Bruce actually grew up and went to high school in Florida, then came to Michigan when he was recruited to play football and run track for Adrian College.

He earned his degree in four years and went into the working world, but never left football completely behind.

Bruce played for a semipro team, the Kalamazoo Titans, for several years. That’s how he met Ironmen head coach Terry Mitchell, who was his teammate in Kalamazoo for one season.

They were both receivers, became friends, and stayed in touch. A few years ago Mitchell reached out to Bruce and invited him to sample eight-man arena football and join the Ironmen. He decided to give it a try, and fell in love with the sport and the team.

“He had to kind of convince me it’s still football,” Bruce said. “I already had plenty of people tell me I should try it, and he was the final one, so I figured, you never know until you try.”

While fans have gotten used to seeing Bruce make big plays, and might take it for granted by now, they should definitely enjoy it while it lasts.

On the eve of his 32nd birthday, he notes that it’s becoming more physically challenging to stay in football, at least compared to a few years ago.

“I started playing at the age of five, so at 32 time starts to catch up with you,” Bruce said. “Just all the years of getting hit, and the constant wear and tear on your body. The hardest part is getting out of bed after a late practice or a game. You just feel those bruises, and your mind wants you to stay in bed.”

He admits it’s a big commitment to keep his football career going, particularly living so far away from the town where he plays.

He shares custody of his children and works full time as a sales representative at Wolverine Lawn Service in Kalamazoo.

That means careful planning to make sure there is time for everything, including his obligation to his children and employer, as well as the long drives to Muskegon, and distant cities for road games, to compete with the Ironmen.

“For me it’s a little different, cause I’m a single dad,” Bruce said. “I have to make sure the kids can be with their moms on game or practice nights, or have a sitter lined up, make sure I make it to practice and games on time, then get back home to relieve the sitter and be present as a dad.”

Bruce also says, with his children getting older, he will need to spend more time with them, so his future with the Ironmen is still up in the air.

This may be his last season, or it may not. He hasn’t figured that out yet.

“There is only one who knows the answer to that, and that’s God,” Bruce said. “I might say I’m done, then he might say something else next year. Right now it’s still all up in the air.”

No matter how many more years Bruce stays with the Ironmen, he’s is thrilled he discovered the team and arena football, and is determined to enjoy every moment that’s left for him.

“We’ve got a great team, from the owner to the general manager to the coaches and my teammates,” Bruce said. “My main goal is to get through the season, try to stay healthy and bring another championship to Muskegon.”

Bruce said his favorite part of the experience may be the postgame period after home games, when Ironmen fans are allowed to come on the field, talk to players and coaches, and get autographs and photos.

He really likes all the kids that come out on the field, wide-eyed and excited to meet the players they just watched.

“To have all the kids happy to see us playing and giving them joy, that’s a heartwarming thing, not just for me, but for the other players, too,” Bruce said. “I enjoy interacting with all the fans, particularly the kids.

“Without them, there is no Iron Nation!”