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Female Basha kicker signs letter of intent to play for D-II football team

Posted at 5:26 PM, Apr 13, 2017
and last updated 2017-04-13 22:07:30-04

She’s headed to college football and making history along the way.

Wednesday, Becca Longo made it official. The kicker, who's a senior at Basha High School in Chandler, signed a letter of intent to join the football program at Adams State University in Colorado.

That makes her the first female in state, and possibly in the country, to sign a letter of intent for a program in the NCAA Division II or higher while on scholarship.

"I'm just so unbelievably grateful that somebody gave me a chance," Longo said.

During mid-season, she reached out to Adams State University.

"The offensive coordinator actually came down from Alamosa and talked to me in person [about] how interested he was in having me go to his school," Longo said.

Being a girl playing football, she's had her doubters along the way.

"Oh yeah. Oh yeah. I just don't listen to it," she said.

But the doubt has never come from her supportive team or her coach, who's impressed by her consistency and skills.

"She was in the weight room, she did the running, she did everything we asked of her--got a great opportunity to go out and play on Friday night, took advantage of it, and this is where she led to," said Gerald Todd, former head football coach at Basha High.

Her road to success hasn't been without its challenges.

"My junior year, I fractured my spine, and so the doctors told me I'd never play sports ever again," Longo said.

She first set her heart on football as a little girl. Now, her possibilities are endless.

So what's her end goal?

"I haven't really thought that far ahead yet. I'm just thinking about playing," Longo said.

Longo also plans to play basketball at Adams State University.