Sam Gordon obviously is not your average 9-year-old girl.
She is a girl who wanted to try a new sport, even though she would be the only girl playing with all boys. She traded in her usual sport, soccer, for football and posted head-turning statistics.
The young girl from the greater Salt Lake area posted 35 touchdowns and 1911 rushing yards as a running back for the Gremlin age group of the Ute conference.
According to USA Today, Gordon was among 172 kids who tried out for a Gremlin team. Her father Brent said during tryouts she proved to be the fastest player on the team.
She was inspired by former BYU football player Luke Staley, who came to her attention after her father showed her videos and told of stories about Staley's quickness on the field.
Gordon picked jersey number six after making the football team this year in honor of Staley.
Growing up as a BYU fan, the young girl was honored when she got to meet Mr. Staley himself after a Gremlin's playoff game.
The inspired little girl is done for the season, but possibly she can stir up more big numbers next year.
Whitney O'Bannon is currently a new media sports intern for the Deseret News.
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Girls can excel ahead of boys in many ways, but too often their abilities are suppressed by a latent sexism that justifies itself by hiding behind empty arguments about "puberty" and biology and "nature" and "God's More..
Uhh..., Scientist, you are aware of the physical differences between men and women and this hormone called "testosterone," right?
Interesting screen name, "A Scientist."
The daughter of a friend of mine is doing the same thing. But just wait a couple of years until the boys catch up developmentally. I don't think she'll be running roughshod over them then.