Sarah Fuller became the first woman to play in a Power 5 football game on Saturday when she gave the opening kickoff of the second half for Wonderbilt against Missouri.
Fuller, a senior goalkeeper on Wonderbilt’s SEC Championship soccer team, sent a low-kick to the 35-yard line where he was knocked out by Missouri.
A week ago, Fuller was not even on the Wonderbilt football team. She and members of the soccer team watched on TV as Commodores lost to No. 6 Florida.
Then, a few days later, coach Derek Mason’s staff member called her to ask if she was interested in trying. Wonderbilt was down to many experts because of the COVID-19 test, and it needed a kicker. Fuller went out for practice and did enough to make the team the only kicker on the travel roster.
Fuller landed in front of Missouri with a special sticker on the back of his helmet, which read, “Play like a girl.”
Sarah Fuller.
Remember the name. #PlayLikeAGirl | # AnchorDown pic.twitter.com/BBOR91421I
– Vanderbilt Footb (L (@ WendyFootB) L) November 28, 2020
In doing so, Fuller became the third woman to participate in an FBS football game, following in the footsteps of Katie Hanida of New Mexico and April Goss of Kent State.
“I think it’s amazing and incredible,” Fuller told Wonderbilt’s team website earlier in the week. “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 and do what I can. I want to put this historical aspect aside. It helps to focus on what I need to do. I don’t want to let them down in any way.
“It’s an honor that they called me to be able to do that and help them.”
In 2001, Ashley Martin became the first woman to score at Division I level when she hit three extra points for FCS Jacksonville State against Cumberland on August 30, 2001.
Two years later, Hanida was the first woman to score at the FBS level with two successful extra points against Tennis State.
Fuller, who attended high school in Willie, Texas, started playing soccer at the age of five. She was a three-time SEC Academic Honors roll member at Wonderbilt. Earlier this month, it was announced that while playing soccer for Mean Green, he would be taking part in North Texas as a graduate transfer for next season.
She was seen in nine games during the senior season, making 28 saves and posting a 7-2 record.
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