Antoinette “Toni” Harris won’t let her gender stop her from pursuing her dream. She made history as she became the first female football player in a skill position to sign a letter of intent, accepting a scholarship to Central Methodist University in Missouri, as reported by ESPN.


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Harris, who plays on the defensive side of the football as a safety, who has been starting at East Los Angeles College in California for the past two seasons. She also received other scholarships from other colleges to play football including Bethany College in West Virginia, Adams State University, Graceland University, and Kentucky Christian University.

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“A lot of coaches didn’t believe in me,” Harris told ESPN. “A coach told me, ‘Nobody’s ever going to play you to be at the next level.’ In the end, you’ve got to push yourself. I’m going to focus on my goals.”

“The NFL is the dream,” Harris said in an ESPN Q&A. “I’m going to be working toward that until the death of me. Whether I go drafted or undrafted, I’m pretty sure I’m going to keep my faith and God is going to take me there.”

Harris is a fighter and a survivor. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer when she was 18 and beat it. She has gotten used to beating the odds.

“As a coach, giving someone the opportunity to go to college and assist them in getting a degree, that’s what it’s all about,” head coach David Calloway said of Harris.