Carli Lloyd is serious about the NFL. So serious in fact that this isn’t going to be some walk-in tryout during preseason game No. 4 and just see what happens. No chance. This is legit, and she’s going to train harder than she ever has before and make sure she puts the time and respect in that an opportunity like this deserves.
Her personal coach James Galanis reiterated that point to Graham Hays of ESPN, “If she’s going to do this, she’ll do it — she’ll train in the offseason, she’ll get herself ready so that she just doesn’t do it for the sake of doing it. If she’s going to do it, she’s going to do it so that she can be a success.”
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Lloyd, the US Women’s Soccer star fresh off back-to-back World Cup gold medals, isn’t new to the NFL practice field. She garnered attention recently at training camp with the Philadelphia Eagles when she booted a 55-yard field goal to the amazement of players, coaches and fans galore. However, that wasn’t even the first. You may remember Hard Knocks with the Houston Texans when head coach Bill O’Brien invited her over for a field goal competition against defensive lineman Vince Wilfork. While this was just fun for the cameras, Lloyd had the leg and drilled when asked to put it through the uprights.
US Women’s Soccer star @CarliLloyd on kicking in the NFL, which she received “pretty serious” offers to do this week:
“I think I could do it.”
Will she TRY to? And what does she say to the doubters? Tonight on @NFLTotaIAccess 7est pic.twitter.com/HedphbqjBr
— Lindsay Rhodes (@lindsay_rhodes) August 28, 2019
Carli Lloyd can kick, this isn’t a question. However, it will more be if the NFL is ready for her. In a league of all-men players, are they progressive enough to welcome her in with open arms? We’re now at a time where women are joining the coaching ranks across the league, so why not as a player? It’s a bottom-line league and if she’s the best person for the job then grab her a helmet.
There will be questions as to the other requirements of the position, such as what Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen brought up earlier in the week, “Sound sweet til somebody block the kick and all of a sudden she on defense. Would be like the stampede scene in the lion king movie. She do got a boot tho (sic)!”
According to the NFL’s official website, there were only nine field goals blocked during the 2018 season. Cincinnati’s Randy Bullock led the list with two blocked kicks, and he tied with Baltimore’s Justin Tucker. Dan Bailey of Minnesota, Brett Maher of Dallas, Will Lutz of New Orleans, Chris Boswell of Pittsburgh, and Stephen Hauschka of Buffalo all had one field goal blocked.
Time will tell if Carli Lloyd has an emerging career ahead of her in the NFL, but one thing is for certain, if she’s going to do it she’s going to do it the right way.
