Vanderbilt’s Sarah Fuller made history on Saturday when she became the first woman to score in a Power 5 conference football game. The senior kicked a pair of extra points for Vanderbilt during their 42-17 loss to Tennessee.
With 1 minute, 50 seconds left in the first quarter, Fuller put the ball through the uprights to tie the game at 7. She walked off the field sporting a big smile after high fiving her teammates.
One of the officials brought the ball to the sideline and gave it to Fuller as a memento of the historic occasion. Fuller’s family was in attendance and celebrated with her from the stands.
With 7:22 left in the fourth quarter, Fuller got another chance and successfully kicked a second extra point making the score 35-17.
This was the second football game for Fuller, who is the goalkeeper for Vanderbilt’s SEC tournament champion soccer team. She had already earned a place in the history books by becoming the first woman to play in a Power 5 conference game when she kicked off to open the second half of Vanderbilt’s game against Missouri on November 28, 2020.
Fuller was added to the roster as replacement to other Vanderbilt kickers who were placed on quarantine due to COVID-19. She remained on the roster even as other kickers have been cleared and rejoined the team.
Liz Heaston became the first woman to score in a college football game with two extra points for Willamette of NAIA on Oct. 18, 1997 and Katie Hnida was the first woman to score at the Football Bowl Subdivision level with two extra points for New Mexico on Aug. 30, 2003. However, no woman before Sarah Fuller had appeared in an SEC game or for any Power 5 team.
