Former cheerleader, blind in right eye, hopes to play for Franklin College
By Adam Spencer
Published:
For those taking in a Franklin College game in Indiana, they’ll notice a student-coach named Hope Nelson on the sideline.
Nelson, a former cheerleader and high-school football player, is currently on the coaching staff, but has dreams of playing for her school next season.
According to a profile by the Indianapolis Star, Nelson always surprises people who don’t take her for a football player:
“When I tell people, it’s always ‘Wow.’ And they’ll ask, ‘What position do you play? Kicker?'” Nelson said. “But that’s not the case. I’m out on the field making tackles. And I want to do that here. I know I can do it.”
Nelson will spend the rest of this year on the sideline, but she hopes to make her way onto the field next year, when she’d become the first female player in the school’s 184-year history:
Nelson’s goal is to play at Franklin next season as a sophomore. For spring practices, she will suit up with the guys.
She will prepare to make football history, as the first woman in the school’s 184-year existence to play the game.
The entire profile, detailing how she went blind and why she knows she can succeed on the gridiron, is well worth your time. Read it here.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
