By Joshua Huff, sports editor
TRUSSVILLE — With quiet intensity, senior kicker Jordan Lynn peered up at the uprights for a spell before she returned her focus to the placeholder in preparation for the snap. The smile normally etched upon her face was hidden behind a mask of concentration. The situation was not dire. The results did not hinge on the outcome of this particular extra point as Hewitt-Trussville jumped on the scoreboard first behind an Omari Kelly touchdown reception to open the game at Hoover on Friday.
Photo by Joshua Huff
But to Lynn, the kick was vital not only to prove to herself that she could do this, but to shake the nerves that came with playing in her first high school football game. Thankfully, she did not have to wait but just a few minutes before she took to the field for the first time at the Hoover Met in a matchup between top teams in the state.
“It was fun,” Lynn said. “It was a really exciting experience. These past few weeks at practice have been definitely a different experience. I mean, being here at the Met for the first game was something. The first kick was a little nerve-racking. But, after I had that first kick all my nerves went away … All the guys have been awesome. They’ve been really supportive.”
Many women throughout the country have proven that they’re capable of playing football. To the point now where Lynn’s feat made few waves, which shows that the continued push for acceptance and equality has found firm footing.
The conversation regarding women playing football returned in earnest in late August when US Women’s National Team star Carli Lloyd drilled a 55-yard field goal during a Philadelphia Eagles practice. This follows a path set by Katie Hnida, the first female to score in a Division I college football game, and by Liz Heaston, who became the first female to score in a college football game in 1997. Those trailblazers left breadcrumbs on how to traverse a football world historically dripping in machoism, ego and a preconceived notion that women had no place amongst the men.
Lynn follows in the footsteps of those brave women. She also follows in the footsteps of Lloyd as both trace their athletic roots to soccer — Lynn plays for the Husky girls’ soccer team and is committed to Mercer. Though football is a slightly different beast than playing soccer, the fundamentals remain pretty much the same.
“It’s pretty similar,” Lynn said of the difference between playing soccer and kicking field goals. “I mean, obviously, a different shape of the ball. You have to kick it a different way. The experience is a lot more different. In soccer, you don’t have thousands of fans watching you. But, it’s pretty similar to how soccer is.”
That experience translated well as the sure-footed Lynn went 2-for-2 in the game.
This was not the first time that Lynn has kicked in a game — She kicked once before when she was in the eighth grade. Though obviously talented enough, Lynn waited until her senior year to try out for the varsity football team. She had watched a few games this season before she decided to give it a try.
“I decided, ‘Hey, why not go and try out,’” Lynn said. “Coach (Josh) Floyd has been awesome. He’s been really supportive, really helpful. We’ve had really good kickers in the past. This is my senior year. I thought this was my last chance, and I finally decided to just come out.”
For those girls out there that have the talent and desire to play football, but are hampered by self-doubt and the fear of the unknown, Lynn says just go for it.
“This is definitely something that not a lot of people do,” Lynn said. “Not a lot of girls come out for kicker, but I really do want to influence other people to go out and try different things that they really want to and really believe in.”
