Vanderbilt football considers women’s soccer player at kicker against Missouri because of COVID-19
Vanderbilt women’s soccer player Sarah Fuller is practicing at kicker for the football team and could be an “option” against Missouri on Saturday (noon ET, SECN), coach Derek Mason said Wednesday.
The Hustler, the Vanderbilt student newspaper, first reported Fuller’s presence in uniform at football practice. Mason confirmed it on Nashville’s 102.5 “The Game” on Wednesday.
Fuller, a senior goalkeeper, help the Commodores win the SEC tournament championship last Sunday.
The Hustler reported that Fuller was added to the football team because several specialists are in COVID-19 quarantine. On “The Game,” Mason acknowledged COVID-19 testing as a reason for considering Fuller.
“Any week in college football, you are sort of subject to testing. And then based on testing, you’ve got to figure out options where you go,” Mason said. “For us, talking to Sarah, she’s a champ, and no pun intended. (She’s) just coming off an SEC championship in soccer.
“(Fuller is) coming out and just looking at what we do and how we do it (at practice). She’s a complete competitor. She’s an option for us.”
The SEC recommends each team have at least 53 scholarship players to play a game, including a minimum seven offensive linemen, one quarterback and four defensive linemen. There is no recommendation for a kicker.
