Lauren Silberman made history as the first woman to ever try out at a regional combine on Sunday, but only made two kicks that failed to fly longer than 20 yards, before calling it a day.
Silberman revealed that she hurt her quadriceps earlier in the week to reporters after the aborted tryout, and blamed her poor performance on the injury. Some reports say that Silberman actually hurt her leg on the first kick, however. In her comments following the workout, Silberman indicated the former. ''[The kicks] certainly didn't go as far as they were in practices but I tried to work through the pain.'' Silberman had previously boasted to NFL Network that she was capable of hitting 60-yard field goals.
Silberman is a graduate student at MIT and a former club soccer player in Wisconsin who had never kicked in a competitive football game before, according to Yahoo! Sports. In February, she said that she wasn't aware she was the first woman to make it to a regional combine. "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."
Things did not go Silberman's way at the Jets' practice facility in Florham Park, but she didn't let her tough outing get her down. ''I'm just really happy I had this amazing experience. I might be the first woman trying out for the NFL, but I certainly hope I'm not the last.'' The 28-year-old also said that she will continue to kick and left the door open for a future tryout. ''I've always been an athlete, and I've always been a gamer," Silberman told the media after her workout. "You know, the distance wasn't there, but hopefully the scouts will notice my technique. It's not always length.''
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