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At 5 ft 7 and 164 lbs, Toni Harris makes a bite-size footballer. But her dreams are big: she wants to be the first female NFL player.
Toni Harris has become one of the first female non-kickers on at her college football roster. She isn’t the first to kick for major college teams. For example, April Goss at Kent State, or Katie Hnida at New Mexico and Colorado have already made their mark.
However, they didn’t receive scholarships. Recently, College Bethany offered Harris one.
Harris lays it all out below. Her struggles, the way people have doubted her, and the ways she’s overcome all this:
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Harris discussed her difficulties playing in a male dominated sport. Speaking to ESPN, she said:
A lot of coaches didn’t believe in me […] A coach told me nobody’s ever going to play you to be at the next level. In the end, you’ve got to push yourself. I’m going to focus on my goals.
I don’t usually like labeling people as ‘inspirational’ but, I gotta say, she’s managed to overcome some extreme adversity.
College Bethany coach Paul Hubbard confirmed the news. He had this to say:
We were absolutely interested […] She definitely has the skill set. We’re always looking outside the box or inside the box to find players. We watched her compete against the kids out there.
He also confirmed that, while plenty of women have played, Harris would be the first to play at a skill position.
Ultimately, it really shouldn’t be all that shocking. Brandon Banks came into the NFL as one of the lightest NFL players ever at a whopping 149 lbs. Currently, he’s 5 ft 7 and 153 lbs. So… it’s not an absurd prospect.
Either way, it doesn’t really matter what people think. Harris is going to push for what she wants, and deserves. What a badass.
Turns out, it’s not just women changing the face of sport. Movies like Black Panther have an incredible impact too.
