Female kicker to break NFL gender barrier

**PikeStance** · February 21, 2013, 09:21 AM

This can get interesting,

Female kicker to break NFL gender barrier

When Lauren Silberman shows up at an NFL Regional Scouting Combine for a kicking tryout in New Jersey next month, her leg strength won't be the only facet drawing people's attention. Silberman also will make football history by becoming the first woman to participate in the event.

The full article: Female kicker to break NFL gender barrier

Before anyone asks,...

My comments on another forum,

she didn't make anything yet and the NFL is/ should be about what you can do when given an opportunity.

Imagine this,... the first time she makes a tackle- the announcers laugh when the male kickers tackle a runner, can you imagine it if she does!

Article taken from Saintsreport Forum (I am sure the article has made its rounds across the NFL forums also)

Any thoughts?

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**Adar** · February 21, 2013, 09:35 AM

Kicker is actually one of the positions where a female might be able to manage it. Heck they even let Swedes play in that position....

And speaking of Sweden, here we even have some females American football players who have been playing linemen in the second division

.

But I think it is quite inaccurate to claim that she break the NFL gender barrier considering that she's only paying to go to a camp. If she makes it into the NFL then it is noteworthy, but right now she is no better than the female wannabie runnerback that tested in my team when I was 15.

She almost broke her arm in the first run of play and then became some kind of hangaround girl.

**~~Michele Bachmann~~** · February 23, 2013, 10:55 AM

Do that have second string kicker sin the NFL? Because if they don I can defiantly see her being signed. Just imagine the merchandise sales.

**PikeStance** · February 23, 2013, 11:13 AM

Each team on opening day must have only 53 players on the squad (Only 45 are active for any game in which one may be the back- up QB). Each team is allowed up to 8 players to be on their "practice squad."

The breakdown
The Offense and Defense are 11 players each. If each squad had only one back- up- this will be 44 players. Each team will have specialty position as well; A long snapper (for punts), kicker and a punter. Also, some teams will have special kick off / Punt returner as well. This brings an additional 4 or 5 players. Teams typically fill the roster with "third string" players for receiver, running backs, defensive backs... injury prone positions.

Most teams only carry the "two kickers" If one is injury they will sign another kicker... usually these are veteran kickers who were cut from other teams for a new young kicker. Also, the practice squad are filled with future prospects for "more" important and hard to fill positions. So, to answer your question, teams would never place a young unproven kicker on the practice squad and definitely not on the 53 man roster.

As a side note: Kickers are rarely drafted onto a team. It is more likely she may be signed for competition for the position. It is rare for teams to replace their veteran experience kicker with an unproven kicker unless they dazzle the coaches throughout training camp.

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**~~Michele Bachmann~~** · February 23, 2013, 11:22 AM

That's unfortunate. It would be really nice to see a female on a football team. It would be to see what would happen on bad snaps and fake kicks.

On a side note, couldn't there be a female baseball player? Not a power hitter or anything, but a more defensive position like second basemen or short stop.

**PikeStance** · February 23, 2013, 11:55 AM

Originally Posted by Tantalizing Testicles

That's unfortunate. It would be really nice to see a female on a football team. It would be to see what would happen on bad snaps and fake kicks.

On a side note, couldn't there be a female baseball player? Not a power hitter or anything, but a more defensive position like second basemen or short stop.

This is off topic, but to answer your question; yes- the latest was Tiffany Brooks. There are also a few national teams that compete as well. There are a couple of women's tackle football leagues also.

Women's Football Alliance
Independent Women's Football League

**Pyrrhus the Molossian** · February 23, 2013, 11:29 AM

Not when they practice softball all their life. Leaves them at a huge disadvantage experience wise.

**Bolkonsky** · February 23, 2013, 12:11 PM

This is a really bad idea and could be the ultimate death of the sport. Call me what you will, but it's a men's game, made for men, and the rules and changes they'd have to make to accommodate women would ruin the fun of it. She could get very seriously hurt, the biological differences between her and the rest of your average guys on a football field are immense.

**Sharpe** · February 24, 2013, 04:57 PM

Originally Posted by Bolkonsky

This is a really bad idea and could be the ultimate death of the sport. Call me what you will, but it's a men's game, made for men, and the rules and changes they'd have to make to accommodate women would ruin the fun of it. She could get very seriously hurt, the biological differences between her and the rest of your average guys on a football field are immense.

She had better hit the weights.

And there is no reason she would be that hurt in a game, her position doesn't allow for it. I am on a sports scholarship and train in a high performance gym and honestly some of the girls there would put 90 percent of men to shame, they throw up 90kg+ on the bench and 150kg+ on the squat while weighing about 70kg so there is no reason they could not be durable enough to take a hit.

**Bolkonsky** · February 24, 2013, 07:42 PM

Originally Posted by Sharpe

She had better hit the weights.

And there is no reason she would be that hurt in a game, her position doesn't allow for it. I am on a sports scholarship and train in a high performance gym and honestly some of the girls there would put 90 percent of men to shame, they throw up 90kg+ on the bench and 150kg+ on the squat while weighing about 70kg so there is no reason they could not be durable enough to take a hit.

NFL players are leagues above 90% of men. And yeah, 90kg is a lot of weight for a woman, but any medium sized guy could get there in a couple months. Also, strength has less to do with it than bone structure. Men have on average, a larger and heavier bone structure than women. Men in the NFL have a much larger bone structure than your average man as well. They are on average bigger and heavier guys.

True, kickers don't get hit often, but when they get hit they traditionally get hit very hard and are much more injury prone. The odds are not in her favor at all, and what I'm worried about is the introduction of rules and the dumbing down of an already dumbed down sport just to keep women from getting hurt too badly. I'm not sure how many people remember Darryl Stingley, but he was a WR for the Pats a long time ago and ended up getting paralyzed on the field. He ended up dying a few years ago from complications of it. A couple years ago there was a college kid that ended up paralyzed from football. And another guy from the Lions was paralyzed as well. Those are just off the top of my head. I'm pretty sure there was someone that died on the field as well, but I can't find who.

The biggest and toughest guys go down with injuries every day. A woman could easily have her neck or spine snapped when hit by a Suggs or a Cole.

**ccllnply** · February 24, 2013, 05:50 PM

Sounds like publicity stunt more than anything. I mean, shouldn't she be, you know, playing in the women's league?

**Pinarius** · February 24, 2013, 06:36 PM

typical American

**PikeStance** · February 24, 2013, 06:58 PM

I would appreciate in any thread I start that the racial, ethnic, or national slurs are avoided. They add nothing to the discussion.
Thanks in advance for your cooperation.

**Sharpe** · February 24, 2013, 07:06 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2LjwM3B688

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

**Sharpe** · February 24, 2013, 07:59 PM

Don't get me wrong - I do not agree with her potential inclusion, but the female body is certainly not as weak as most people perceive - I suppose that is a modern allusion.

But there is always controversy around contact sports when there is a bad injury (I play rugby and was cited last season for an, admittedly, ugly spear tackle that broke a poor lad's collarbone) I cannot begin to imagine the uproar if a woman was paralyzed in a tackle, all the 'I told you so's and what not. Not to mention the refusal of many players to tackle the girl! I certainly wouldn't.

@Bolkonsky - You are right the genetic differences between the two sexes are great - though both have great physical potential males certainly have the ability to hypertrophy and build power to a greater extent in most cases. I think it is lose-lose for the NFL, they would be wrecked by feminists for denial, but the traditionalists and even the players would not like the admittance of female players. I think it would be ridiculous.

Male and Female sports are separated for a reason - fairness. Imagine dropping bloody Tuilagi into the England Women's Rugby Team.

**PikeStance** · February 24, 2013, 10:20 PM

The physical difference between men and women are a bit obvious. Men get get bigger and stronger. They have more muscle (harder) and larger bones. Men also have greater quickness and overall faster than women. This being said; it is a bit unfair to compare a women to a running back or a linebacker in the NFL. It would be more fair to compare women to a kicker- who often are much smaller, slower and not as coordinated as other field players. Also very few actually get involved in tackles- usually they get outrun, juked [sic] or the runner runs through the tackle. (most often they obstruct the runner enough that the more skilled players actually make the tackle or they manage to nudge enough that they go out of bounds. It is unlikely a kicker will suffer a serious injury as being suggested. The Paralyzing injuries usually occur when poor tackling technique is used. I have never seen that type of injury occurring on kick- offs and FGs. I also would not think she will be used for kick-offs. It is not unusual for teams to use their punter to do kick- offs.

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**~~Michele Bachmann~~** · February 24, 2013, 10:57 PM

If I remember correctly, the player who was paralyzed a couple of years ago (I believe he played for Rutgers) was injured on a kickoff.

**Bolkonsky** · February 24, 2013, 11:01 PM

Yes let's toss a hypothetical and say she's punting or kicking a field goal. It's not incredibly uncommon for the kicker to get tackled in those situations. In fact, they've gotten really roughed up even after they kick the ball, hence the roughing the kicker penalty being instituted. She wouldn't last two seconds against a 325 pound guy like Wilfork.

**PikeStance** · February 25, 2013, 12:15 AM

Some videos if paralyzing hits- they are rare in the NFL
They are more common in High school due to poor tackling technique. In fact the LeGrand tackle is also poor technique- you supposed to see your target.

Mike Utley
No video found, but it took place on an offensive play.

Darryl Stingley