Natalie Tolbert has gone from being a spectator at football games to being a team manager and now, she’s donning a Hoover jersey and competing for the Tornados as Hoover’s first football player in four years.

She found her interest in football back in eighth grade, when her childhood friend at the time introduced her to the sport.

Her mom however, was very worried about her safety and the risk of concussion. As such, she was not able to play football until she got an opportunity this summer.

“I wrote a four-page essay explaining why I wanted to play,” she says.

After doing so, she finally got the chance to play on the team.

“Everybody was really supportive and proud of me for doing it,” says Tolbert. “Obviously my mom was the one who was on the edge of it but she is at ease now. I’m slowly becoming friends with a lot of people on the team.

“I am very happy that I decided to join football because sitting back and watching people do what you want to do isn’t super good to do so I decided to do what I wanted to do for once.”

Tolbert says she thinks girls should be more open to playing football or at least flag football, which she is trying to get a team for.

“I’m sure she motivates other girls that are maybe hesitant,” says Azad Hearbidian, “And that see her out there doing it and want to join.”

Herabidian is Hoover’s head football coach. He says he wasn’t surprised when Tolbert wanted to join the team because she had shown interest in joining during her time as team manager.

“We’ve never had a girl on our team and it’s nice to have a girl,” says Sipan Hakopian, one of the players on the team. “It’s fun. It’s good for her.”

When asked if it’s inspiring to have a girl on the team, Hakopian said “heck yeah.”

Tolbert says practicing with the team is intense but she’s able to manage. As for her academics, she’s able to balance it with football.

Ultimately, her only difficulty is being a new player, since she doesn’t know the game as well as other players, putting her at a disadvantage.

But despite her difficulties, Tolbert is pushing through and has high hopes.

When asked if she wants to play football in college, Tolbert said “That’d be great. If that’s something that could happen, then yes.”

“If there’s nothing stopping you from doing what you wanna do then do it. If it makes you happy then do it. If you don’t know if it makes you happy, try it out, you never know. So go out there and take chances and do whatever.”