Female Kicker Tryout: Lauren Silberman Aims for 60-Yard Field Goal
Lauren Silberman, announced as the first woman to ever compete for a spot on an NFL team last month, is "realistic" about her chances of making the final cut. But she is hopeful about her ability to "inspire others."
Silberman doesn't have a long history of playing sports. During her college career at Wisconsin University she played club soccer, but it's been a while since she's taken on any other sports related hobbies. The first round of tryouts began on Sunday.
"I am working hard to prepare but I am also realistic about my chances," she wrote in an email to ABC. "I hope my willingness to put myself out there inspires others to seize opportunities and challenges. The support from around the world has been so heartening."
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Silberman had previously stated that she was unaware about setting a record when she first signed up for tryouts.
"I was not aware that I was the first female registrant," Silberman told the NFL.com in February. "I was actually hoping that the 2012 historical milestone rule, to allow women to play, would prompt more women to attend tryouts this year. But for me, what's important is to finally have a chance to fulfill my dreams by trying out to play in the world's most competitive football league."
To make a good impression, Silberman will attempt a kick that is not performed by many. Her goal is a perfect, 60-yard field goal according to ABC.
"When rating field goals, the deepest we test at the combine is a 50-yard field goal. There's not many attempts over 55 yards. We don't practice kicks much deeper than that - rarely do we do them," Cincinnati Bengals special teams coach Darrin Simmons told the news station.
Despite having a lack of experience when it comes to playing sports, Silberman is more of an expert when it comes to studying athletes. She finished her Master's thesis at MIT about how athletes use video games to enhance their own performance, according to the NFL, and then founded a consulting company, Double Play, with the same focus.
