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Colorado's Adams State signs first female football player to scholarship

Posted at 5:57 PM, Apr 13, 2017
and last updated 2017-04-13 20:05:21-04

ALAMOSA, Colo. — Colorado is making waves in Football, and it has nothing to do with the Denver Broncos. Granted, the state's newest kicker — Becca Longo — wouldn't mind ending up there someday. 

That's right, Colorado's Adams State University signed 18-year-old Longo to a Division II scholarship, the first of its kind. 

Females have played football for colleges in the past, but this is the highest level of football for a female to play on a scholarship. 

Longo, a kicker, knocked through 35 of 38 extra-point attempts for her high school in Arizona last year alone. 

Her new coach, Adams State Head Coach Timm Rosenbach, said her skill, not gender, is what encouraged the school to offer a coveted scholarship.

"To me it was more about her as a football player, and I did feel like she was going to put herself in a position to be able to compete to kick field goals and extra points for us, and in the end, that was the deciding factor," Rosenbach said. 

But Longo still has a long road ahead to become a starter. She'll be competing for the starting role with two other kickers — both males. 

Until then, Longo is just soaking up the opportunity and enjoying the moment. 

"I just want to thank everyone for all their support," Longo wrote on Twitter. "This is such an amazing experience and I couldn't have done it without all of you!" 


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