Girl Football Player 8-Year-Old Girl Samantha "Sweet Feet" Gordon Youth Peewee League STAR
Published on Nov 8, 2012 by 5portsCenter
Sam Gordon, Girl Football Player, Stars In Ridiculous Highlight Reel
A highlight reel of a peewee football player has become an Internet sensation, showcasing the impressive speed and versatility of Utah youngster Sam Gordon -- a girl playing in an all-boys tackle football league.
While female football players tend to be relegated to the kicker position, Sam made waves on the field with her physicality and fearless nature. The video, posted by the girl's father, Brent, displays the girl's talent for bursting through coverage, breaking tackles and making tackles of her own. Most notably, however, is the section in which Sam shows that she can take a hard hit -- just like the boys.
Sam finished the 2012 season with a stat line that would make any parent proud. According to the video, she scored 35 touchdowns on 232 carries, totaling 1,911 yards and averaging 8.2 yards per carry. She also added 65 tackles, for good measure.
According to USA Today, Sam participated in the greater Salt Lake City area's Ute Conference in the Gremlin age group, which consists mostly of 9-year-olds. After out-testing the boys in every speed and agility drill, she was made the starting quarterback of her team, which only runs plays on the ground.
Even more impressive is the fact that this was Sam's first year playing football. She was motivated to switch from soccer after watching BYU games with her dad, according to a post she wrote on the Cougars' message board. In fact, she chose her jersey number, 6, in honor of former BYU All-American running back Luke Staley, who now coaches an opposing team in her league.
Given her young age and limited experience, Sam shows much promise and could stand to benefit from a recent trend of female football players breaking down barriers.
In October, eighth-grade student Amina Barrett suited up as both a linebacker and running back for her middle-school squad in Houston, according to Yahoo!. Similarly, back in September, Erin DiMeglio made history when she became the first woman to play quarterback for a high school football team, BuzzFeed notes.