Friday, March 9, 2012

A lady kicker in major college football? You go, Mo.

It's possible this year, but maybe not likely. It seems Mary Morlan (Mo) Isom intends to be a walk-on for the storied LSU football team, in hopes of landing a roster spot as a place kicker.
A little background. Ms. Isom attended Lassiter High, in Marietta, Ga., where she graduated with a 4.06 GPA. That in itself is amazing. I always thought 4.0 was as good as it gets. Maybe they give bonus points in Marietta for something or other. Beats me. Then on to LSU, where she was a stand out goalie for their soccer team. On top of that, she was homecoming Queen. Whip-smart, poised, beautiful, and a starter for a major college athletic team for 4 years? Does it get any better than that for a young lady?
Maybe, and maybe not. Though she technically has one year of "eligibility" left in her collegiate athletic career, her chances of making the men's football team would appear to be slim, at best. May it have something to do with stereo-typing, a "man's" game, and all-around macho BS? Of course. Only a fool would think otherwise. It's there, and probably always will be. Without getting into the particulars of locker room and/or shower situations, it's probably a fair statement to say this might pose difficulties on a few different levels.

Mo Isom has proven she has a great leg, having kicked a 51 yard field goal, evidently in some sort of practice.

But let's not forget the other kicker that's already there and will be coming back. While extra points after touchdowns are considered semi-automatic, this guy has quite a leg himself, and was accurate to the tune of 89% of his field goal attempts last year. Make of that what you will, but a lot of NFL kickers can't boast that percentage.

Yes, injuries happen and given the ridiculous number of scholarships that major college football programs routinely hand out, it shouldn't be too much of a stretch to think Mo Isom should be given a fair shot at making the team as a back-up kicker.

But as the story unfolds, I can't help but be disappointed. Mo Isom, her mom, friends, and countless others have portrayed her as potentially breaking new ground in the South East Conference (SEC), when it comes to heretofore major male athletic programs.
Dammit, and here I thought they might be talking about actually, gasp, graduating.

And Ms. Isom proudly proclaims she hasn't kissed, or been kissed by, a guy for the last year? Hmm. Glad to hear she's getting her kicks elsewhere -- I think.

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