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A20 SPORTS
Thursday 29 augusT 2019

Career change for Carli Lloyd? How about the NFL?

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Fresh 300-pound opponents. U.S. coach Jill Ellis, who is
off the United States' victory "You can't really touch a stepping down from the
in the Women's World Cup, kicker, but it happens. I'm team following the victory
could Carli Lloyd be enter- not naive to that. But there tour, joked when asked
taining thoughts about a is that part of it, no doubt. about it: "Did you hear the
career change? And there's challenges as next one that I'm going to
The 37-year-old soccer star far as being with all males be her agent?"
nailed a 55-yard field goal and the locker room and Ellis said if any woman
during a joint practice be- there's a whole range of could break into the NFL, it
tween the Philadelphia Ea- things, and I get that," she would be Lloyd.
gles and Baltimore Ravens said. "But I'm not afraid to "When I first came on the
last week. And on Wednes- step up in front of the whole scene, I saw Carli Lloyd
day she was peppered world and actually do it." strike a ball and I said, 'Holy
with questions about a pos- Indianapolis Colts kicker crap that's the hardest I've
sible NFL future. Adam Vinatieri, a veteran ever seen a woman hit a
"It's gone from just having of five Super Bowls, said ball,'" Ellis said.
fun kicking to, 'Will she play earlier this week that he "She certainly has the ve-
in the NFL?' At first I was thought Lloyd's kick was locity, and I think it's very
just laughing about it but "pretty cool." cool. I think it would be
the more that I spoke with Baltimore Ravens' Sam Koch holds the ball for United States soc- But like Lloyd, he also said great."q
cer player Carli Lloyd as she attempts to kick a field goal after
my husband, he's all for it the Philadelphia Eagles and the Baltimore Ravens held a joint it's one thing to kick in prac-
and my friends and family, NFL football practice in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. tice, and another to per-
they're really encouraging Associated Press form in a game.
me to potentially take up "For you to go out and hit
this opportunity," said Lloyd, nament last fall, she got a field to give the United a ball without a rush and
who is in Philadelphia with 45-yarder at the Cowboys' States a 5-2 victory over Ja- a snap and a hold and no
the national team for a practice facility in Texas. pan. get-off time and stuff, it's
victory tour match against Lloyd is well known for her But she acknowledged that different than doing live
Portugal on Thursday night. kicking ability. In the World kicking in the NFL is very, stuff," Vinatieri said. "But I
It's not the first time she's hit Cup title match in 2015, very different from scoring saw it, it was pretty impres-
a long field goal. During the Lloyd scored three goals from 50-yards out — like sive how far she kicked the
World Cup qualifying tour- including a blast from mid- wearing pads and facing ball."