Sarah Fuller won’t get to play in Vanderbilt’s final game against Georgia due to COVID protocols.
On Monday, Vandy announced that they don’t have enough players to meet the SEC’s roster minimum. The game has been canceled and the Commodores season is over after going 0-9.
The winless program’s one highlight has been Sarah Fuller, who got the opportunity to play for the football team after taking Vanderbilt to an SEC title in women’s soccer.
She played in two football games this year, making history in both.
Fuller became the first woman to play in a Power 5 game when she kicked off against Mizzou. Two weeks later, she became the first woman to score in a Power 5 game, going 2 for 2 on extra points in the game (and on the season).
Although Fuller was the first to kickoff and score a point in the Power 5, it’s worth remembering Katie Hnida. She was the first woman to kick points in an FBS game and her harrowing story was recently reexamined by my college, Jane McManus.
“It looks like my time as a football player has come to an end,” she tweeted after learning about the cancellation. “I would like to personally thank the entire Vanderbilt football team, coaches, and support staff for this amazing opportunity to be part of this program. I was accepted as an athlete and a true member of this team. This is an experience that I will never forget and will cherish forever. Good luck to the seniors and staff who are moving on to new adventures. My best wishes to the team as this program moves forward and continues to grow.”
So what comes next for Fuller? Well, this spring, the starting goalkeeper will head back to the pitch to play in the NCAA’s rescheduled soccer tournament.
After the spring semester, she’ll transfer to North Texas and play two more years of soccer. She recently told Yahoo Sports that her focus will remain on soccer, and she doesn’t have any plans to play football.
But if North Texas needed her, she said, she would step up.
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