Sarah Fuller Makes History as the First Collegiate Female Kicker

Sarah Fuller, the first female kicker for Vanderbilt Commodores, made history amongst the collegiate football community on Nov. 28. Fuller played against the number ten ranked Georgia Bulldogs and is the first woman to play in a major conference game. Yet, there were many barriers that she had to break to make it to that point. 

Initially, earlier in her collegiate career, she dealt with many injuries. She broke her foot freshman year, missing the whole season. In her sophomore year, she had a disc that slid in her back that did not allow her to travel with her Vanderbilt soccer team. Senior year she was overtraining, which resulted in a stress fracture in her foot yet, four games into the season, the doctor cleared her, and she was allowed to play.  

Because of COVID 19, her soccer season was temporarily canceled, but when she received a call from head football coach Derek Mason, asking her to fill in at kicker, she replied, “I’ll be there in 30 minutes.” She eventually made the team and was able to kick. 

Even though she played in a football game, there was a more significant impact that she wanted to have. Fuller wanted to be an example for all of the little girls across the country who want to play male-dominated sports, such as football. “They can do anything they set their mind to…just keep fighting and working hard and keep working towards your goals,” Fuller said to Fox News in an interview. 

Sarah Fuller is a name that will be said for decades to come. She is an inspiration for little girls across the country and a legend in women’s and men’s sports.