On Saturday November 28th, Vanderbilt’s football kicker, Sarah Fuller, made history by being the first female to ever play in the Power 5 conference. In a year of so much fear and negativity, Fuller was able to bring the public a much-needed positive story that gave people some hope. 

 With all the change that Covid has brought to all sports, Vanderbilt University is no exception. All of the team’s kickers had to sit out due to Covid. This set the stage for Sarah Fuller, who is also the goalie for the women’s soccer team at Vanderbilt. The decision for Fuller to kick was very last minute; Fuller was planning to leave for the Thanksgiving break until she received a call from her soccer coach who told her about the exciting opportunity. Sarah immediately knew she wanted to do it and said, “It’s just so exciting that I can represent the little girls out there who wanted to do this or thought about playing football or any sport, really.” 

It is clear that Fuller was made for this big moment and wants to use her platform to lead women and continue to break barriers and be an example for the younger generation of achieving what you put your mind to. 

Vanderbilts head coach, Dereck Mason, spoke to Fuller’s ability to adapt and overcome: “She could have easily said no, but instead she prepared all week and did what she was supposed to do.” 

Another example of Fuller’s leadership and confidence was the statement written on her helmet, “Play Like a Girl,” showing Fuller is not afraid to speak up and push the status quo. Despite taking a hard loss on the 28th, Fuller and her amazing story of hope and determination was one of the most talked about stories and will no doubt be one of the positive aspects when we look back on a year with so much negativity.