Vanderbilt senior Sarah Fuller's historic college football game appearance last Saturday (November 28) has earned national attention and several accolades.
Fuller was named as a nominee for the Capital One Orange Bowl Courage Award by the Football Writers Association of America this week after becoming the first woman to appear in a Power 5 conference college football game, FOX 17 News reports. Fuller was also named as the Southeastern Conference's co-special teams player of the week on Monday (November 30,) Sports Illustrated reports.
Fuller, the starting goalkeeper on the Vanderbilt women's soccer team, was the Commodores' primary kicker in Saturday's 41-0 loss at Missouri. The senior kicked off the second half of the Commodores' game against the Missouri with a squib kick to the Missouri 35-yard-line.
Fuller began practicing with the football team last week, several weeks after the women's soccer team was eliminated in the final of the SEC Tournament, but there was no confirmation on her involvement prior to last Friday's announcement that she would dress for the Vanderbilt-Missouri game.
Her appearance also led to national exposure and large donations for a Nashville nonprofit aiming to keep girls in sports. "Play Like a Girl" founder and CEO Dr. Kimberly Clay confirmed to FOX 17 News' Nikki Junewicz that it received $13,000 in donations as of Sunday (November 29) morning, hours after Fuller became the first woman to appear in a Power 5 conference college football game.
Fuller printed the phrase "Play Like A Girl" on the back of her helmet, giving a nod to the nonprofit, which aims to keep girls in sports, during Vanderbilt's game against Missouri broadcasted on SEC Network.
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