ATHLETE FEATURE: Toni Harris, Aspiring First Female NFL Player

February 6, 2019 marked the 33rd annual National Girls & Women in Sports Day (NGWSD). For over 30 years, this celebratory day has empowered women and girls to be active, get involved with sports, and excel in both sports and life. As a Registered Dietitian who works with female athletes on a very regular basis, this day holds a special place in my heart.

In honor of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, I wanted to feature one of today’s most unique and inspiring young female athletes, Antoinette “Toni” Harris. Toni wants to be the the first female NFL player. How cool is that?!

Toni plays free safety for East LA College as one of the first female non-kickers on a college football team. According to USA Today Sports, Toni is considering four different scholarship offers from Bethany College, Adams State University, Graceland University and Kentucky Christian University. Impressive, right? And what makes it even more impressive is that, according to Overtime, she had to overcome a tough childhood and even beat ovarian cancer to get to where she is today.

To top it all off, at only 22 years old, Toni Harris was featured in a commercial during Super Bowl LIII earlier this month. Toyota featured Toni in their new Rav4 Hybrid commercial. You can watch the official commercial here. Overtime, a NYC-based sports network, published an 8-minute feature on Toni Harris on Youtube. Watch it here if you’re looking for some serious inspiration! You can even follow along and watch her reach her goals on Instagram!

We are so lucky to live in a world where girls and women can find confidence and strength, build character, and push past their limits by participating in sports!