Sarah Fuller, the first woman to play in a Power 5 football game, steps away from college soccer

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David Suggs
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After a trailblazing collegiate career, Sarah Fuller is stepping away...for now.

Fuller, the first woman to play and score in a Power 5 football game, is opting for forgo her last semester of college soccer at North Texas, she announced on Twitter Wednesday morning.

She instead will put all her focus on securing a Masters degree in Sports Entertainment Management.

Fuller, a goalkeeper, starred at Vanderbilt for much of her college career. She famously earned a spot on the football team in 2020, filling in after members of the Commodores' kicking staff were forced away with COVID-19.

The Sporting News details the factors that prompted Fuller to end her college soccer career prematurely.

Who is Sarah Fuller?

Fuller became the first woman to participate in a Power 5 Division I football game in Nov. 2020.

She was coming off the best season of her college soccer career, leading the Commodores' women's soccer team to an SEC Championship while going 7-2-0 with a 75.5% save percentage.

Fuller sank two extra points during her two-game tenure with the football team, breaking the glass ceiling for women in Division I football in the process.

MORE: Sarah Fuller thanks Vanderbilt for football opportunity

“How fun to go out there and play a new sport, especially as an athlete, to go out there and try new things,” Fuller said.

Fuller graduated in 2021, enrolling at North Texas to pursue her Masters. She also announced her intention to join the women's soccer team.

Why is Sarah Fuller retiring from college soccer?

For all of her accomplishments, the stress of achieving such a momentous feat weighed on Fuller. There were plenty of plaudits. But there were also death threats

When coupled with a general burnout for the game of collegiate soccer, it made for a dangerous mix. Fuller's mental health deteriorated in the spring. And after a string of Division I athlete suicides, including former Stanford goalkeeper Katie Meyer, Fuller got help.

“When you’re at that low of a point, the things that you love, that excite you, that you have a passion for, tend to be sometimes the most draining,” Fuller told Sports Illustrated's Julie Kliegman.

After weighing her options with her sports psychologist, Fuller decided to take a week off from soccer. That week turned to two. Eventually, Fuller decided to stay away from the team from spring break to the end of the spring semester.

Fuller got her mental health back on track, but opted to stay away from the college game.

Will Sarah Fuller play professional soccer?

Just because Fuller is calling it quits on her collegiate soccer career does not mean she is finished with her soccer dream entirely. Fuller spent the summer playing for USL W side Aurora FC. She said it was among her favorite periods of soccer.

“I’ve taken this opportunity at Aurora to take a better step forward with soccer and have a better relationship with it and just find the joy in being around my teammates," Fuller said. "Everything’s honestly a 180 from where I was at."

The next launching point for Fuller could be a pursuit of a career in the NWSL, the top women's soccer league in the country. The NWSL draft is likely to take place in December. Fuller, given her impressive resume and instant name recognition, could be worth a flyer.

But Fuller could also pursue a career on the business side of things, maybe as an agent or executive...or maybe even an owner. The world is Fuller's oyster, after all.

No matter what, though, one thing is clear: Fuller will be vocal in her mental health advocacy.

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David Suggs

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News.