Lauren Silberman scheduled to be first woman participant at NFL regional scouting combine

By Kevin Kaduk |


(NFL Network)If we're being completely honest, Lauren Silberman's odds of making a NFL team as its kicker are pretty much nonexistent.
However, the long-shot nature of her bid isn't stopping the 28-year-old New Yorker from becoming the first woman in history to register for an NFL regional scouting combine, which features players who weren't invited to the main combine currently being held in Indianapolis. Silberman will compete alongside college kickers in New Jersey on March 2 and 3 for the right to advance to a Dallas super-regional combine in April.
Silberman doesn't have any recent football kicking duties on her résumé. She was a club soccer player at the University of Wisconsin and attended MIT where she wrote a thesis on how athletes use video games to improve their performance. (Former Badgers and Minnesota Vikings defensive lineman Erasmus James was a participant in her study.)



From NFL.com:

"I was not aware that I was the first female registrant," Silberman told NFL.com on Tuesday. "I was actually hoping that the 2012 historical milestone rule, to allow women to play, would prompt more women to attend tryouts this year. But for me, what's important is to finally have a chance to fulfill my dreams by trying out to play in the world's most competitive football league.
"The opportunity to attend this event could not be more exciting. Getting to meet interesting people and perfect my technique from others could not be more rewarding ... Regardless of the outcome of the tryout, I hope there is a way I can contribute and strengthen the league."
So, yeah, it sounds like Silberman is realistic about her chances. But it also sounds like she's eager to break down a wall and pave the way for a female kicker who might make a team in the future. Best of luck to her.