Sarah Fuller announces her kicking career is over, thanks Vanderbilt for ‘amazing opportunity’

This season, Sarah Fuller became the first woman to play and score points in a Power 5 football game.

The Georgia-Vanderbilt was called off, yet again, but this time, it means Commodores senior kicker Sarah Fuller’s football career is likely over.

The Bulldogs and Commodores were originally scheduled to play December 5, but that game was postponed because of a shortage of players on Vanderbilt’s roster with positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing. Rescheduled for Saturday, that game is now canceled, the SEC announced Monday, because the Commodores don’t have enough players again.

And Monday night, Fuller announced that her short-lived but historic football career is probably ending.

Against Missouri at the end of November, Fuller — who’s also the soccer team’s championship-winning goalkeeper — became the first woman to play in a Power 5 game, taking the field for a specially designed squib kick to start the second half of the game. And then Saturday against Tennessee, she kicked two good extra points and became the first woman to score in a Power 5 game.

In a note on social media reacting to the cancellation of the Georgia-Vanderbilt game, Fuller wrote:

“It looks like my time as a football player has come to an end. I would like to personally thank the entire Vanderbilt football team, coaches, and support staff for this amazing opportunity to be part of this program. I was accepted as an athlete and a true member of this team. This is an experience that I will never forget and cherish forever. Good luck to the seniors and staff who are moving on to new adventures. My best wishes to the team as this program moves forward and continues to grow.”

But Fuller isn’t done with college sports altogether.

After she helping her soccer team win the SEC tournament in November, she’ll be back for the NCAA tournament, which the NCAA pushed back to the spring because of the global pandemic. More via Yahoo Sports about Fuller’s future:

After that, Fuller plans to transfer to North Texas. She’s planning on playing two more years of soccer and has no designs to play football. She told Yahoo Sports recently that her passion remains in soccer, but she said that if North Texas ever needed her in a pinch, she’d gladly step up.

“We’ve watched with admiration and great respect how Sarah has handled herself in making history at Vanderbilt,” North Texas athletic director Wren Baker said by phone on Monday. “We look forward to welcoming her to the Mean Green family and helping her extend her platform. I know she’s a role model for lots of people in the country, particularly young female athletes.”

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