Becca Longo has been challenging stereotypes since her career began, but her journey wasn’t always an easy one. Longo may have shattered the glass ceiling for women in football, but how did she get where she is today?
Head in the Game
Becca’s life revolved around sports since the very beginning. Longo was born in 1999 to a family of athletes. By the age of four, she was already on waterskis. Longo’s natural athletic abilities began to shine as the years went by, but nobody could have predicted just how far she would go…
Overcoming the Odds
Longo’s supportive family helped her develop as a sportswoman. Her biggest inspiration was her brother, Bobby, who is 11 years her senior. Longo looked up to Bobby since she was a little girl. She wanted desperately to be just like him. Unfortunately, there was one major obstacle in her way…
It’s a Boy’s World
The two of them were known for friendly competition, but one thing stood in Longo’s way: Bobby was the linebacker for his school’s football team. Even though Longo wished she could play on the field just like her older brother, football was a “boy’s sport.” She had no choice but to watch from the sidelines…
An Inspiration
In 2004, when Becca was five years old, she witnessed Heidi Garrett hit a 48-yard field goal. It was the national record for the longest field goal kicked by a woman in high school. Becca knew if Heidi could play football, she could, too. At the time, Becca was too young to play the game, but she still dove into being an athlete headfirst.
Sewing the Seeds of Success
For years, Becca excelled in sports that were traditionally “feminine,” but all the while she was dreaming of playing on the football field. Becca was a point guard on her school’s basketball team, and her strong right leg made her an incredible soccer kicker. This was an asset that would help her later…
She Saw Something Amazing
Middle school never gave Becca the chance to live out her football fantasies. At the end of her freshman year at Queen Creek, Becca was walking home with a friend. That was the moment that everything changed for her…
Anything He Could Do, She Could Do Better
Becca saw the school’s football team practicing on the field and noticed that one of the players was a girl. That night, she went home and decided that anything Bobby could do, she could do, too. Becca called her father and told him that she was going to kick for Queen Creek.
Dad’s Support
Becca’s father agreed without hesitation: if she wanted this, she could do it. Becca was an extraordinarily competitive and talented athlete. It came as no surprise that his daughter would challenge herself to go above and beyond. He wanted to be there for her in any way he could…
Pushing Herself to the Limit
When Becca was asked by ESPN what drove her to make these decisions, she said, “I think it’s just something inside of me. I don’t always have to prove myself, but I always want to.”
Bonding Experience
Bob Longo knew his daughter could do anything she put her mind to. He recalled Heidi Garrett and her father, Rance, practicing together on the field for hours. “I always envied them,” Bob said. “They had a great father-daughter relationship. I hoped that one day I’d have the same connection with better.” As it turned out, his wish wasn’t far from reality…
Honing her Skills
One week later, Becca’s parents drove her to a kicking camp, which was hosted by the Arizona Cardinals at Gilbert Christian High School twenty minutes away. Some NFL players had come to watch the next generation of kickers. Becca knew this was her moment to prove that she wanted this more than anything…
Meeting the Master
Becca was no stranger to pressure and performed excellently. After the camp had ended, she was approached by a number of former players who were offering to train her. However, Becca and her father wanted to work with former University of Arizona kicker Alex Zendejas.
She Has the Leg
Zendejas ran a kicking academy in Phoenix that taught seven Arizona All-State kickers. He was impressed when he watched Becca kick. “She has the leg. She can kick field goals from 50 yards,” he said. Zendejas was convinced that Becca had what it took to open the door for other girls who wanted to become kickers…
Popping the Question
Zendejas only had to see Becca kick once to understand the depth of her potential. Becca’s talent was obvious; she just needed to refine her skill. The next day, Queen Creek’s athletic director, Paul Reynolds, received a visit from Becca, who had an interesting proposition…
Defying the Odds
Reynolds was informed by Becca that she wanted to play football. He laughed and said, “I guess you should go for it and try out for the team.” Although Becca didn’t miss Reynolds’ sarcasm, she took his advice to heart, using it as motivation.
Thick Skin
To Reynolds’ disbelief, Becca passed tryouts and made it onto Queen Creek’s Junior Varsity team for her sophomore year of high school. During her first season, Becca made 30 out of 33 extra-point kicks. Unfortunately, even with a helmet on, Becca stuck out like a sore thumb. She became a target for bullies…
Haters Gonna Hate
On the field, Becca was a superstar, but things were different in the halls of high school. “They’d post pictures on the Internet and say, ‘Is that her jersey or her boyfriend’s?’ I got laughed at the entire year,” she said.
Time for a Change
Becca tried not to let the cruelty of her classmates phase her, but it was hard. Eventually, she knew she needed a change. Becca transferred to Basha High School, which was 20 minutes down the road. She hoped things would be different for her…
Devastating News
From the first day she enrolled, Becca instantly felt at home. She was excited to begin playing for Basha, but soon learned something that made her heart sink: Becca wasn’t allowed to play football for her junior year.
Patience is a Virtue
Transfer bylaws prevented Becca from kicking for Basha’s football team. Becca knew she had to be patient. She spent the year honing her skills on the sidelines and waiting for an opportunity to prove that she could do anything the boys could do…
Don’t Miss with Becks
By Becca’s senior year at Basha, her hard work paid off. She began the year as Bash High’s resident kicker. In 2016, Becca had an almost perfect season, scoring 35 out of 38 points. The missed points were blocked kicks that were beyond her control. Becca proved to everyone that she was a force to be reckoned with…
Garnering Attention
Becca’s talent drew the attention of regional college sports recruiters, who began to take notice of her. Although some were skeptical, Becca boldly faced the critics. She and her father made a highlight reel of moments from her two years of kicking. The video attracted the attention of one offensive coordinator…
Quite the Offer
Josh Blankenship was the Adams State offensive coordinator. After viewing the video, he invited Becca up to Adams State, a Divison II school. for tryouts. Becca knew this might be her only chance to play football in college…
She Has What it Takes
Becca aced the tryouts, sinking 23 of the 25 attempted field goals. Blankenship was impressed; he offered her a scholarship to kick for Adams State. Becca was in shock. She told CNN, “Everybody who has it on video said my jaw dropped to the floor.”
Making History
Although women had challenged gender stereotypes in football long before Becca took to the field, this was actually the first time in NCAA history that a female player was offered a football scholarship for a Division I or II school.
Gender Isn’t a Factor
Adams State’s head coach, Timm Rosenbach, was secretly watching Becca’s tryout from afar. Rosenbach was impressed with Becca’s display of talent. He wanted to afford her the opportunity to play, telling ESPN, “I don’t care if the player’s a martian. The gender part wasn’t really a factor for me.”
New Family
Becca was received by the team with open arms. She was so grateful for the warm welcome, which sharply contrasted her experience back at Queen Creek. Becca said she was “basically their sister,” expressing her admiration and respect for the boys who made her feel like she belonged on the field.
Dealing with the Haters
Becca is no stranger to online trolls. She’s developed a thick skin, resisting criticism from the bullies that jeer at her online. “If they want to think that, they can think that,” she told ESPN. “I’m just going to kick a game-winning, 55-yard field goal… see how loud they are then.”
The Girl Can Play
“If you can play football and you have determination, I don’t care what your gender is. And Becca can play, simple as that,” said Rosenbach, a former quarterback. “She’s got accuracy and she’s got a powerful leg, which will only get stronger. We brought her to Adams State for a reason: to compete for a job and help us win football games.”
Role Model
Becca knows that she serves as a role model for young girls. “I just want to let people know that you can do whatever you want. As cliche as it sounds, nothing is impossible,” she said. “I had a little girl the other day, her name is Kennedy, who lives up in Kentucky, do a wax museum of me…my jersey and full pads, find it on my Instagram. I cried. That’s the impact that I’ve always wanted to have on people. That I can do it, it’s insane.”