Vanderbilt senior, Sarah Fuller, made history last Saturday with a 35-yard squib kick in the second half of Vanderbilt’s game against the Missouri Tigers. Thus making her the first woman to play in a Power 5 football game. Fuller will most likely play as the team’s place-kicker again in their game against the Georgia Dawgs, which will take place on Saturday, December 19.

 Fuller received the invitation to kick for the Commodores just days before the game. Football coaches recognized her talents in her role as Vanderbilt’s goalkeeper for their women’s soccer team. The team, with a successful record of 8-4 so far this season, has won multiple conference championships in past years.

Fuller’s passion for playing sports burns bright, and she enjoys finding fun ways to stay in shape. She conditions for soccer, and now football, by playing ultimate frisbee alongside her regular training. 

“Fuller said that she loves playing sports and considers ultimate frisbee as a nice break from her other training,” ULTI World writer, Zoe Collins Rath said. 

Fuller pushed herself in order to reach this point in her life, and her hard work continues to pay off as coaches recognize her talent. Todd Fitch, Vanderbilt’s football interim coach, told reporters that Fuller recently began practicing with the team, and he plans to put her on their travel roster. 

“She’ll be with us on the trip to Georgia and we’re going to put the best people out there. If she’s our best option we’ll continue with her and we’ll do the best we can for the team,” Fitch said. 

While Fuller may not have set plans for her athletic career once she graduates, she already inspired countless young girls and women with her accomplishment. Fuller will achieve great things after college, as she understands the value of hard work and dedication. 

“I just want to tell all the girls out there that you can do anything you set your mind to, you really can,” Fuller said. 

These words of encouragement meant the world to young female athletes who long to follow in Fuller’s footsteps and break records of their own. She represents the beginning of a new sports era, one where women can confidently play alongside men. 

“In a different year, in a different time, in a different house, I sat with my dad on the couch to watch football on Saturdays, desperately wishing I could put on a jersey and shoulder pads and play quarterback just like the players I watched on television,” ESPN senior writer, Andrea Adelson said. 

Because of Fuller, other female athletes who feel the same way Adelson did as a young girl, now realize that their dreams can become a reality. The world gained a new role model, and Fuller’s impact trickles all the way down to the students at NC.

“Athletes like her are the reason so many young girls have dreams of making it pro. It also motivates them to be better than their male and female peers,” NC sophomore and JV soccer player, Audrey Roman said. 

While no one knows exactly where Fuller’s athletic career will take her, her accomplishments will go down in history, and nothing can shatter the dreams of those who look to her for inspiration.

“Her accomplishment is a reminder to female athletes that we should get out of our comfort zones and challenge ourselves. Her courage inspires other women to believe in their own strength,” NC sophomore and JV soccer player, Daniela Guthrie said.