Imagine being the only girl on the football team. Freshman Samantha Murray has been doing this since fifth grade. 

Being a girl makes it tough for Murray. “I feel like strength is a big difference between me and the boys,” Murray said. “I try my best all the time though.”

The head coach of the freshman team, Bob Morris, agreed that the boys overpower her but that she’s a hard worker. 

“Being a girl can be tough in a boys’ sport,” Morris said. “Sam is a very determined and aggressive player.” 

With four solo tackles and 12 assists this fall, Murray was a lineman for the freshman team in the four games they played.

Being a girl lineman made boys think of her as weak. “The boys on the other team thought they were stronger and could run faster,” Murray said. “They were wrong and were shocked when they found I was strong and fast.”

Murray’s dad got her interested in the sport. Other sports seemed boring to her, and her dad supported her in her choice to play football. 

The boys on Murray’s team also supported her and treated her as a teammate. They treated her like she was a boy, not a girl. 

“I get tackled with as much force as any other boy would,” Murray said. 

Being a starting defensive player, Murray wants to play next year and hopes to start again.