Becca Longo learned Wednesday that she will be the first female kicker to play college football on scholarship at the Division II level or higher after she signed a letter of intent with Adams State University in Colorado.
Longo, 18, signed with the school several weeks ago, but it wasn’t until Wednesday that she found out her circumstances were slightly more exclusive than the other dozen or so women who have played college football, ESPN reported. Longo will also be playing basketball at the Division II school.
Gerald Todd, Longo’s coach at Basha High School in Chandler, Arizona, broke the news to her.
"I didn’t know that until today," Longo said Wednesday, according to ESPN. "I’m still in shock from it. I’m just amazed."
Longo reached out to Adams State while she was still in season, but didn’t hear back from the school until the season was over.
"I contacted them during the season, and after the season I got contacted back by them," Longo said, according to the Arizona Republic. "The offensive coordinator (Josh Blankenship), he told me he wanted me to come out for a visit."
"I went on my visit and I absolutely fell in love," she added.
"It was like recruiting any other athlete," Adams State coach Timm Rosenbach told the Arizona Republic. "In Division II, we can see their workouts. To me, there is no doubt she can be competitive. She has a strong leg, and she can be very accurate."
Rosenbach was asked about his thoughts on Longo now being the first female in college football history to get an NCAA football scholarship coming out of high school.
"I never heard of it before," Rosenbach said. "I don’t look at it that way. My wife is a former pro athlete. I see her as a football player who earned it."
According to Bleacher Report, in her senior season, Longo made 35 out of her 38 field goal attempts and even connected on a 30-yard extra-point attempt.
"I’m ready to compete," Longo said about her upcoming college career. "I don’t really have any expectations beyond that."