College football history will be rewritten as Adams State University in Colorado (a Division 2 football school) has offered a scholarship to Becca Longo, who will become the first female to receive a scholarship offer to play football at the Division 2 level or higher. Becca will also play basketball for the school, making her a rare multi-sport athlete at the college level.
Becca isn't the first female to play college football at a high level. Katie Hnida became the first female to score in a Division 1-A college football game for the University of New Mexico in a blowout of Texas State in 2003. The situation is different in Longo's case because Hnida had been a walk on at both schools she attended (Colorado and New Mexico), while Longo received an athletic scholarship.
Last season, Longo had a strong kicking record going 30-33 on extra points (which in high school and college is a very high percentage). She was also successful in her lone field goal attempt, which was good for 30 yards.
Becca began playing football as a sophomore in high school. She transferred high schools the next year, and was forced to sit out her junior season, but, as noted above, she had a very strong senior campaign. One could only wonder, if she had 4 years of high school football, how much higher could she have gone?
Becca Longo will go down in football history, and will certainly cement her football legacy. However, this is only the beginning. For trailblazers like Longo and Hnida, what they do for future athletes is much more important than any individual accomplishments they have. Longo will, for many, be a fan favorite when she takes the field in the fall, but she will also be a beacon of hope for any female who wants to play football. And that is why Becca Longo is this week's Women Crushed Wednesday! Good luck Becca!
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