Iowa female high school football player hopes to inspire others

DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) - One high school player from Iowa is encouraging girls like her to get out on the field.

Ernestine Kennedy is the only female player at Hoover High School in Des Moines, and the team has welcomed her with open arms.

She says the other players treat her just like one of the guys.

Kennedy plays three corner, safety and wide receiver. But that is not where her athleticism stops.

She also plays basketball and runs track... using those skills to be a standout on the team right away.

“She really just fits in,” shared head football coach Theo Evans said. “And what I mean by that is she doesn’t stand out as a female, she stands out as a football player, and that she is just as tough as these guys, she tackles just like these guys and she blocks just like these guys.”

Kennedy said she isn’t the first female football player at the school, but she hopes other girls are inspired to join her.

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