Carli Lloyd thinks she could be an NFL kicker: 'I could do it and do it well'
Carli Lloyd has won two World Cups and has twice been named the FIFA women’s world player of the year. Her sport is soccer, and she absolutely owns it. But her talented feet, and a recent viral video, have her thinking about whether she could make it in another sport: football.
Lloyd wowed everyone a week ago when a video of her kicking a 55-yard field goal at Philadelphia Eagles practice went viral.
Have the @Eagles signed a new kicker? Not exactly, but world champion soccer player @CarliLloyd stopped by the Birds' practice and showed off her leg with some impressive field goals. More coverage from camp --> https://t.co/W0jcOtic9G pic.twitter.com/sEgOMupWRb
— NBC10 Philadelphia (@NBCPhiladelphia) August 20, 2019
The kick was originally just a one-off thing, but now Lloyd is thinking bigger. She spoke to NBC Sports’ Peter King, who asked her if she thinks a woman could be a successful NFL kicker.
“I know that I could actually probably do it. Put on the helmet, strap on the pads, go for it. The mindset I have, I think with practice, I know I have to work on my steps and my technique, but I think I could do it and do it well. It could be a huge pivotal moment. There is no reason why a woman could not do this.”
Judging by the fact that she, a woman, did it from a substantial distance with no official football instruction (though she is an elite soccer player), there really isn’t any reason why a woman couldn’t be an NFL kicker. And as far as the pressure she’d be under as a kicker (not to mention a female kicker), Lloyd doesn’t think she’d be fazed. In fact, she would welcome it.
“And I actually invite the pressure. I love the pressure. When I have to nail something—shooting hoops, ax-throwing, kicking a field goal—that is the moment I live for and want. It comes down to the mind, training the mind. It’s worth having some conversations about it. With practice and someone showing me, I know I can do it. I have one of the most accurate shots in our game. Big thing would be getting used to the big boys out there. But nothing scares me. You hold yourself back if you’re afraid. What’s the worst that can happen? I don’t make the team? Let’s just say I did try. Maybe I change the landscape a lot.”
The USWNT have already changed the landscape for women in soccer, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that Lloyd would be interested in doing the same for a different sport. She told King that this could be “sort of a pioneering moment for women,” and she knows what a big deal it would be for her to even try out for an NFL team.
FMIA: What do you an 8-year-old girl somewhere in America would think, watching you try out for an NFL team?
Lloyd: “Oh, that would be massive. Pretty massive. If I was a little girl watching and I saw an NFL kicker that was a female, that would be cool.”
Just nailing that kick during practice has already made some waves. Lloyd said in an interview that several teams have actually reached out to her after they saw the video.
Carli Lloyd tells Planet Fútbol TV she has "definitely gotten some inquiries" from football teams after hitting a 55-yard field goal with the Eagles and Ravens this week. "Anything is possible," she adds.pic.twitter.com/UTlMLRw8ib
— Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) August 22, 2019
Lloyd said that she’s strictly a soccer player, but who knows what the future holds. One thing’s for sure: the Chicago Bears should call her no matter what.
Lloyd receives official offer to kick in preseason game
Though she’s received plenty of interest, one NFL team actually extended a legitimate offer on Monday afternoon.
Lloyd, according to her trainer James Galanis, received an official offer to kick in a preseason game on Thursday — the final one before the season starts next week.
Unfortunately, Lloyd had to turn the offer down as the USWNT has a match against Portugal that night.
“Today, she got another call from another NFL team,” Galanis, said, via Fox Sports. “The one that called today, I don’t want to say who it is, was willing to put her on the roster for their next (game). They were willing to put her on the roster.”
Even if she didn’t have the conflict, Galanis doesn’t think Lloyd would just jump right into a real game on such short notice.
“Knowing Carli, I don’t think she would just hop on and do it,” Galanis said, via Fox Sports. “She would need a couple of weeks training just to get comfortable and acclimatized. But things have escalated and it is real.
“I think Carli is perfectly made out for a job like that. She loves the pressure. She’s got one of the hardest kicks in the world when it comes to women ... She would be an ideal candidate.”
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