Football career over, Fuller looks ahead

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Sarah Fuller, the first woman to play in a Power Five conference college football game, will not play football anymore.

But she will return to Vanderbilt in the spring to play goalkeeper for the soccer team in the NCAA Tournament before transferring to North Texas. However, her soccer coach said Fuller’s spot in the starting lineup is not guaranteed.

“The truth is she has to earn her spot back,” Darren Ambrose said. “No matter what success she’s had in football, she was in a very competitive situation (at goalkeeper) and did very well for us in the SEC tournament. But she knows that when we come back in January, she’s got to be ready to go.”

On Tuesday, Fuller announced on Twitter and Instagram that she would not play football for Vanderbilt anymore.

“It looks like my time as a football player has come to an end,” Fuller posted. “... I was accepted as an athlete and a true member of this team. This is an experience that I will never forget and will cherish forever.”

Fuller also tweeted “Anchor Down! And catch Vandy soccer game next season,” which hinted at her future plans.

On Nov. 22, Vanderbilt won the Southeastern Conference soccer tournament to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament, which was delayed until spring because of COVID-19. The bracket will be released on April 18, with first-round matches that week.

Fuller had been in a tight competition at goalkeeper after overcoming three years of injuries. She was a backup behind Sophie Guilmette for the first three games. Fuller then started the last nine games with a 7-2 record, including four wins in a row in the SEC tournament.

But she will compete with Guilmette again in preparation for the NCAA Tournament.

“Sarah and I had this conversation two or three days ago, about the transition,” Ambrose said. “I told her, ‘You’ve earned (the starting position) this year. It’s yours to lose now.’

“She played incredibly well in the SEC tournament. She’s got to repeat it and keep doing it.”

Fuller became a household name as a Vanderbilt football player, debuting Nov. 28 with a kickoff against Missouri and scoring on two extra-point kicks against Tennessee on Saturday.

Football is over for her. But in May she will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in medicine, health and society. Then Fuller will transfer to North Texas, near her home in Wylie, Texas, to play two more soccer seasons and earn a master’s in hospital administration, a degree Vanderbilt does not offer.