Sarah Fuller Makes History

By Julianne Garnett

After winning the SEC soccer championship in Orange Beach, Ala., Vanderbilt senior goalie Sarah Fuller and her team celebrated with a swim in the Gulf of Mexico. Little did Fuller know that only six days later she would be making history as the first female to play in an NCAA Power Five football game.

With virus outbreaks leading to numerous postponements and cancellations as well as a difference in schedules between the conferences, the coronavirus pandemic has significantly shaken up the college football landscape. Going into Nov. 28, the Vanderbilt Commodore football team was 0-7, struggling to field a full squad due to the numerous players in quarantine. Enter Sarah Fuller.

Like many athletes, Fuller has had a difficult sports journey plagued with injuries, mental health struggles, and a lot of time on the bench. In fact, she only won the starting spot at goalie four games into her senior season. “I just want to make it really clear this was…never an easy path whatsoever,” Fuller said after the game, per ESPN.com. "[T]he fact that I didn't stop and I didn't give up, I think it's huge."

At first glance, Fuller’s kick seemed rather anticlimactic, since it wasn’t a traditional kickoff that fans are accustomed to. Fuller actually kicked what is known as a “squib” kick, a play that is relatively common in the high school game, and is sometimes used by professionals. “We tried to go with the most natural kicks in her arsenal,” said Vanderbilt’s ex-head football coach Derek Mason. “I thought she punched it exactly where she needed to punch it.” Fuller successfully squibbed the kick in-bounds for 30 yards to open the second half.

Fuller received a multitude of praise from the likes of Seahawks Quarterback Russell Wilson, 4-time NBA Champion LeBron James, and Tennis Legend Billie Jean King, per Yahoo.com. Though some people, like ex-Fox Sports One radio host Jason Whitlock, took to social media to question Fuller’s achievement. “Were any of the guys on the men's soccer team considered to kick for the football team? Did Vandy choose the best candidate or the most publicity?” Whitlock said in a tweet. Many people were quick to call Whitlock out. Decorated USWNT goalie Hope Solo tweeted, “Google.com is a free search engine and it’s specifically built for these kinds of queries. (Spoiler: [Vanderbilt] doesn’t have a men’s program!).”

Although Fuller will go down as one of the first to shatter the glass ceiling in an overwhelmingly male-dominated sport, she wasn’t necessarily trying to make a statement. “She was just trying to help, really, where she could,” remarked Mason. Regardless, Fuller’s kick served as an inspiration to girls and boys everywhere.