“Trailblazing” Toni Harris: the first woman to receive a four-year football scholarship
October 30, 2019
Remember when you were a kid and your role models told you that you can accomplish anything you put your mind to? Most of us envisioned ourselves as famous, wealthy, popular and adored. We were professional athletes representing our favorite team. We were firefighters who went out and saved the vulnerable. We were lavishly dressed kings or queens who ruled with a compassionate hand. Unfortunately, most of us abandoned our childhood dream by the time we hit puberty.
Antoinette “Toni” Harris did not.
In a history-making development earlier this year, Harris became the first woman to accept a football scholarship to a four-year university when she signed on to play at Central Methodist University, a Division I program in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). However, unlike female collegiate football players before her, Harris didn’t sign on to assume a non-specialty position. No, Harris is a free safety, and a very capable one at that.
Harris initially gained notoriety when Toyota featured her in a commercial aired during Super Bowl LIII. The commercial, since featured on NFL.com, depicted a determined Harris running, lifting weights and training before cutting to a scene where she ecstatically received the news of her scholarship offer. The commercial concluded with an emboldened Harris glancing at the camera and stating, “I’ve never been a fan of assumptions.”
Standing 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing 165 pounds, Harris will face an uphill battle to earn consistent playing time. However, though she has yet to log any game minutes thus far in her NAIA career, Harris’s story will forever be enshrined in history.
What Harris’s scholarship means for sports is that male dominated leagues which have historically excluded female participation have now been penetrated. Harris’s accomplishment sets a precedent that talent, rather than sex, will be the determining factor as to whether or not women are allowed to play football at the highest level.
It also begs the question of whether or not female participation in male leagues should be a universal standard. This question was again posed when United States Women’s National Team star Carli Lloyd fielded offers from NFL teams looking to upgrade at the kicker position.
There’s no valid reason for women capable of competing at the highest level to be excluded from preeminent sporting organizations. Such a mindset is outdated and counterproductive to the social progression many counties have enjoyed over the past few decades.
However, we must consider the effects such a transition would have on women-exclusive sporting leagues. It’s possible that the inclusion of the top female athletes amongst predominantly male competition might diminish the credibility of leagues like the WNBA, which is already struggling to generate consistent revenue. A perception exists that leagues such as the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) and WNBA are second tier. Poaching top talent from the WNBA or NWHL and depicting said talent as worthy of auditioning for the men’s leagues might further enhance the perception of inferiority, whether warranted or not.
However, it’s difficult to forget athletes like Jenny Finch exasperating future MLB Hall of Famer Albert Pujols with her pitching prowess. It’s easy to imagine Carli Lloyd excelling in the NFL. And perhaps one day, Harris will skyrocket up draft boards and become the first woman ever to play in the NFL.
Maybe it’s time for us to stop segregating the sexes and allow the best to indiscriminately compete against the best. Sure, that might seem like a radical concept now, but then again, at one point in time, men in the United States of America contended women’s suffrage was not a feasible goal. Our women proved them wrong. Let’s stop depriving them of the opportunity to prove us wrong now.
Kandi • May 17, 2021 at 1:55 pm
In my opinion, Harris’s scholarship and acceptance has an immediate positive implications for K-12 sports. I went to a school district where more funding went into male sports – from gear, to coaching, to travel expenses. However, there were a few girls who were simply better than the varsity. A famous example is Sarah Baxter, the CA born XC sensation who consistently outran the Varsity men in her division and higher ranked divisions at the most difficult race course in CA. Many girls lose the opportunity to become the best because the don’t have the best support and aren’t competing with the best. If they’ve earned it, let them play.
John McKenzie • Dec 12, 2019 at 12:42 pm
Matthew is a sports editor who doesn’t know sports. Toni Harris did not deserve her scholarship on merit. She barely played for a losing junior college program in California – she made THREE tackles in two years. There were literally hundreds of junior college men who did much more on the field and many did not get scholarships. She is too small and too slow to play at Central Methodist ( a low level NAIA school – NAIA division one is not same as NCAA division 1 such as Michigan or Texas Tech – please understand that Matthew). Truth is she would not at any D-2 or D-3 school. The hoopla and false reporting about her skills and potential to play in the NFL is laughable. Where are all the media now? Why don’t they follow up on the story? To me the media lacks credibility and integrity when reporting on stories like this. Harris did not make ONE tackle this fall let alone play. Matthew also comments about Lloyd. Geez Matthew, she kicks a 55 yard field goal with several steps and no pressure. All kickers can do that – the Bears Eddie Pineiro in college kicked an 80 yard field goal in practice by taking extra steps. Wow. There are literally hundreds of male kickers in college and high school who actually kick in real games that are far better than Lloyd. And what about male kickers in the Men’s soccer league who have far stronger legs than Lloyd? Why don’t they get a shot? Finally, I have never heard of a 37 MALE kicker suddenly kicking for the NFL. let alone a female. Finally Matthew, fact is, no matter how gender conscious or politically correct you want to be, at the top levels men are overall better athletes than females. Blame it on biology. Men are overall stronger, faster, bigger and jump higher. An WNBA team would be beaten by any D-1 men’s basketball team. Look at the Olympic run or jumps, women’s performances lag behind men. Women are not being kept out of men’s sports because of gender – they are being kept out because of skill and size. If there was a woman who could play major league sports a team would take that woman. Can you imagine the extra attendance, promotion, publicity and money a team would make? I tell you what Matthew, if you really believe women athletes are the same skill as men, why don’t we just abolish all sports teams at the high school, college and pro’s on a gender basis. Let the best of the best, male or female play. There is a reason we have male and female teams. Women athletes are amazing but in their own leagues. and their skill level if awesome to watch in their leagues. But don’t be foolish and think a great WNBA player would make it in the NBA. They wouldn’t . You and the rest of the media are trying to push something that is not there and truthfully Matthew it causes me to question your knowledge of sports.
Managing Editor • Dec 13, 2019 at 10:23 pm
Thanks for your comment. We explored the ramifications of that, in depth no less, in another article that dissected the arguments for and against equal pay for the USWNT. We are sorry to see that our article spotlighting a remarkable story upset you. I hope you enjoyed the read.
craig zarzycki • Nov 7, 2019 at 10:31 am
This doesn’t help women it hurts them.