Ashley Martin
Encyclopedia
Ashley Martin is an American athlete who became the first woman to play and score in an NCAA Division I American football
game, and one of the first ever to score points in any college football
game. She accomplished this feat August 30, 2001 as a placekicker
for the Jacksonville State University
Gamecocks, where she also played on the women's soccer team. Martin played at Division I-AA (now known as the Football Championship Subdivision). The only earlier female player to score in a college football game was Liz Heaston
, who kicked for Willamette University
, an National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
(NAIA) school, in 1997.
football team in Coweta County, Georgia
. She was voted homecoming queen at her high school, and accepted her crown while wearing her football uniform. After high school she enrolled at Jacksonville State University
, where she played for the Jacksonville State Gamecocks women's soccer team.
In 2001 she joined the Jacksonville State football team as a backup placekicker
. She became the first woman to play and score points on August 30, 2001, when she kicked an extra point
in the first quarter of a game against Cumberland University
. She would go on to make two more successful extra point attempts in the game, which resulted in a 72-10 Jacksonville State victory.
Martin is one of three female players to have scored points in college football
. Liz Heaston
had previously kicked two extra points for NAIA
Willamette University
on October 18, 1997 in a game against Linfield College
. Katie Hnida
later scored two points for the University of New Mexico
on August 30, 2003 to become the first female to play and score in an NCAA Division I-A (now known as Football Bowl Subdivision) football game, college football's highest level.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
game, and one of the first ever to score points in any college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
game. She accomplished this feat August 30, 2001 as a placekicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
for the Jacksonville State University
Jacksonville State University
Jacksonville State University is a regional public coeducational university located in Jacksonville, Alabama, USA. Founded in 1883, Jacksonville State offers programs of study in four academic units leading to Bachelor's, Master's, and Education Specialist degrees, in addition to continuing and...
Gamecocks, where she also played on the women's soccer team. Martin played at Division I-AA (now known as the Football Championship Subdivision). The only earlier female player to score in a college football game was Liz Heaston
Liz Heaston
Elizabeth "Liz" Heaston Thompson is an American athlete who is the first woman ever to score in a college football game. She accomplished this feat on October 18, 1997 as a placekicker for the Willamette University Bearcats, which was competing in the National Association of Intercollegiate...
, who kicked for Willamette University
Willamette University
Willamette University is an American private institution of higher learning located in Salem, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest university in the Western United States. Willamette is a member of the Annapolis Group of colleges, and is made up of an undergraduate College of Liberal Arts and...
, an National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
(NAIA) school, in 1997.
Life
Martin had previously served as placekicker on the East Coweta High SchoolEast Coweta High School
East Coweta High School is a public high school located in Coweta County, Georgia, U.S. The school serves about 2800 students in grades 9 to 12 in the Coweta County School System. It is the second oldest high school in Coweta...
football team in Coweta County, Georgia
Coweta County, Georgia
Coweta County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 89,215. The 2009 Census Estimate placed the population at 131,936...
. She was voted homecoming queen at her high school, and accepted her crown while wearing her football uniform. After high school she enrolled at Jacksonville State University
Jacksonville State University
Jacksonville State University is a regional public coeducational university located in Jacksonville, Alabama, USA. Founded in 1883, Jacksonville State offers programs of study in four academic units leading to Bachelor's, Master's, and Education Specialist degrees, in addition to continuing and...
, where she played for the Jacksonville State Gamecocks women's soccer team.
In 2001 she joined the Jacksonville State football team as a backup placekicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
. She became the first woman to play and score points on August 30, 2001, when she kicked an extra point
Extra Point
Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...
in the first quarter of a game against Cumberland University
Cumberland University
Cumberland University is a private university in Lebanon, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1842, though the current campus buildings were constructed between 1892 and 1896.-History:...
. She would go on to make two more successful extra point attempts in the game, which resulted in a 72-10 Jacksonville State victory.
Martin is one of three female players to have scored points in college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
. Liz Heaston
Liz Heaston
Elizabeth "Liz" Heaston Thompson is an American athlete who is the first woman ever to score in a college football game. She accomplished this feat on October 18, 1997 as a placekicker for the Willamette University Bearcats, which was competing in the National Association of Intercollegiate...
had previously kicked two extra points for NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
Willamette University
Willamette University
Willamette University is an American private institution of higher learning located in Salem, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest university in the Western United States. Willamette is a member of the Annapolis Group of colleges, and is made up of an undergraduate College of Liberal Arts and...
on October 18, 1997 in a game against Linfield College
1997 Linfield vs. Willamette football game
The 1997 Linfield vs. Willamette football game was a college football game between the and the played on October 18, 1997. The game was played at McCulloch Stadium in Salem, Oregon. Willamette won the game by a score of 27 to 0...
. Katie Hnida
Katie Hnida
Katharine Anne "Katie" Hnida is an American football player who became the first woman to score in an NCAA Division I-A game, college football's highest level...
later scored two points for the University of New Mexico
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
on August 30, 2003 to become the first female to play and score in an NCAA Division I-A (now known as Football Bowl Subdivision) football game, college football's highest level.
See also
- List of female American football players
- 2001 Cumberland vs. Jacksonville State football game2001 Cumberland vs. Jacksonville State football gameThe 2001 Cumberland vs. Jacksonville Staate football game was a college football game between the and the played on August 30, 2001. The game was played at Burgess-Snow Stadium in Jacksonville, Alabama. Jacksonville State won the game by a score of 72 to 10...