Nov 27, 2020

History could be made Saturday in Columbia with first Power 5 woman football player

Posted Nov 27, 2020 9:37 PM

Sarah Fuller is poised to become the first female to play in a Power 5 football game when Vanderbilt plays at Missouri in an SEC contest Saturday.

A Vanderbilt official confirmed that Fuller made the trip to Missouri and will be in uniform for the game. If she sees game action Saturday, Fuller will make Power 5 history.

Fuller, a goalkeeper on Vanderbilt's SEC championship soccer team, tried out and was added to the football roster this week.  Vanderbilt had a grad transfer kicker opt out before the season, and this week several of its specialists had to go into quarantine due to COVID-19 testing.

Only two women have played football at the FBS level: Katie Hnida of New Mexico and April Goss of Kent State.

Ashley Martin became the first female to score at the Division I level when she kicked three extra points for FCS Jacksonville State against Cumberland on Aug. 30, 2001.

Two years later, Hnida became the first woman to score at the FBS level with two extra points against Texas State.

Fuller's helmet will have a special sticker across the back that reads, "Play Like a Girl."