Kent State coach promises female kicker will see the field

Don’t look now, but you may see a female kicker on the field for the Kent State football team at some point this season.

April Goss, a fourth-year walk-on for the Golden Flashes, has never played in a real game, but head coach Paul Haynes made a pledge Thursday to finally give her some playing time before its too late.

“Before this year’s out, she’ll get out there. I promise you that,” head coach Paul Haynes said, according to the Akron Beacon Journal.

Goss has a chance to become just the second female to ever play in a FBS game behind Katie Hnida, who originally played at Colorado and transferred to New Mexico, where she played and scored on two extra point attempts for the Lobos in 2003.

The former high school soccer player turned specialist traveled with the team for the 2015 season opening loss at Illinois, making just her third road trip ever with the squad.

At 5-6 and 134 pounds, Goss is considerably smaller than the other punters and kickers on the team, but what she lacks in size and strength, she makes up for with her heart and effort.

“She works her tail off. She’s the first one out there in practice and the last one off the field,” Haynes said. “Every time someone gets up and talks, one of our players gets up and talks, they always talk about they’ve got brothers, and a sister.”

Stay tuned to see when or if Haynes will choose to be a part of history this season.

Kent State hosts Delaware State—a football championship subdivision school—this Saturday, September 12, at Dix Stadium in Kent, Ohio.

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*Featured Photo (above) credit to Lucy Schaly of The Times

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