Vanderbilt Enlists Women's Soccer Goalie to Serve as Kicker

Vanderbilt is about to make history in an otherwise lost football season.

The program has announced that Sarah Fuller will be its placekicker for Saturday's SEC home game against Missouri.

Fuller is a senior and has spent four seasons as the goalie for the Vanderbilt women's soccer team. If she plays for the football team, she will become the first female to do so in a Power Five conference game.

"I think it's amazing and incredible. But I'm also trying to separate that because I know this is a job I need to do and I want to help the team out and I want to do the best that I can," Fuller said in a release from the school. "Placing that historical aspect aside just helps me focus in on what I need to do. I don’t want to let them down in anyway.

"It’s an honor they called on me to be able to do this and help them out."

Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason first broached the idea of Fuller kicking during an appearance on 102.5 The Game in Nashville on Wednesday.

"She's got a strong leg," Mason said. "We'll see what that yields. … Sarah's an option. She seems to be a pretty good option, so we'll figure out what that looks like on Saturday."

Fuller started nine of 12 games during the fall soccer season, including all four games in the SEC tournament, which the Commodores won.

The football team, of course, hasn't been nearly as successful as the women's soccer team. The Commodores are 0-7 and merely trying to perform the role of spoiler as they play out the string.

And who knows? Perhaps Fuller can boot them to an upset.

"I have a great inner circle that I know is going to keep me in check and hold me accountable for things and make sure I'm doing this right," she said. "And that’s what I want to do, to just represent my family well and represent the school well."

Written by
Sam Amico spent 15 years covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated, FOX Sports and NBA.com, along with a few other spots, and currently runs his own basketball website on the side, FortyEightMinutes.com.