College football history could be made Saturday if Sarah Fuller steps on the field during Vanderbilt University’s game against the University of Missouri.
Should she play kicker on Saturday, Fuller would become the first woman to play in a Power 5 Conference college football game, according to the Vanderbilt Athletics website. The Power 5 is made up of the biggest athletic conferences, including the Southeastern Conference (SEC), Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Big Ten Conference, Big 12 Conference and Pac-12 Conference.
“I think it’s amazing and incredible. But I’m also trying to separate that because I know this is a job I need to do and I want to help the team out and I want to do the best that I can,” Fuller told the school. “Placing that historical aspect aside just helps me focus in on what I need to do. I don’t want to let them down in any way.”
Vanderbilt kicker Sarah Fuller adjusts her helmet during NCAA college football practice on Wednesday, November 25, 2020, in Nashville, Tennessee.
Fuller is a goalkeeper for the Vanderbilt women’s soccer team. Her opportunity came because many of Vanderbilt’s specialists are in quarantine due to Covid-19, according to the school and ESPN. Head football coach Derek Mason told ESPN Fuller “is an option for us.”
“She’s got a strong leg. We’ll see what that yields,” Mason told the sports network. “We’ll figure out what that looks like on Saturday.”
Fuller plans to wear the message “Play Like A Girl” on the back of her helmet Saturday to encourage other young women, according to Vanderbilt.
Two other women have also played in Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) contests, Vanderbilt says. Katie Hnida did it first when she kicked two extra points for the University of New Mexico against Texas State in 2003. Then came April Goss, who kicked an extra point for Kent State during their 2015 game against Delaware State.
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