By Caitlin Wolfe
McCall Bennett made history on Saturday, September 2, during the Valdosta State University Blazers’ first football game of the season. The redshirt freshman kicker who graduated from Cambridge High School just north of Atlanta, became the first female football player to score a point in VSU history.
McCall, 19, says she has played soccer her entire life, which led to her becoming the first female football player at her high school her sophomore year.
According to McCall, being the only female in a male dominated sport has definitely been challenging at times. “I’m really blessed to have very supportive teammates. They’ve made the whole ‘being the only girl thing’ very easy,” states McCall.
The Milton native hoped to get some kicking time in a game this year, but was surprised to see it happen in the first game of the season. The Blazers were playing Point University. With 6:25 remaining in the game, quarterback Seth Smith found receiver Tyler Ajiero for a four-yard touchdown pass to put VSU up 62-10. Her teammates, whom she considers to be some of her best friends, asked if she could kick the extra point. Before she knew it, McCall was taking the field as the first female football player in VSU history.
The coaches, team, and everyone in the stands lit up as the football sailed through the uprights and gave the Blazers a 63-10 advantage. “It was surreal and super special. I’m grateful for the opportunity to even be on the team, but to actually kick in a game was a dream come true,” says McCall as she recounts what she was feeling in that moment.
As she continues to kick her way through the season, McCall says, “I’m so grateful to the coaches, my teammates, and my family for supporting me through it and just believing in me.”