Female LB eyes starting spot

The sky was angry, dropping rain, wind and chilly temperatures on those who dared to venture outside. Haley Abeyta was in her element, on a football field competing with the boys.

"I don't get any special treatment in football and I don't want any," said Abeyta, the first girl to participate in a Rivals Combine Series event, which made its ninth stop of the year recently in the Mile High city.

Abeyta has been playing football for 11 years, starting at age 5 on the same Pee Wee team as Mathew, one of two older brothers. She's always been the only girl on her teams, so she learned long ago to ignore the whispers from players and parents.

Girls playing football is not new, but most of the others have been kickers. Abeyta is a linebacker.

"She's extremely aggressive," said Zack Morris, her coach at Bear Creek High in Lakewood, about 10 miles outside of Denver. "When I tell friends we have a girl on our team, they assume she's a kicker.

"She's tough and gets after it. We had a summer camp and some of the players were counting in the line and positioning themselves so they didn't have to go against her in drills."

Abeyta played her sophomore season on Bear Creek's junior varsity team. At 5-foot-7 and 166 pounds, she's undersized for a linebacker, particularly since the Bears play in the 5-A division, the highest classification in the state.

"She's going to get a lot of reps this summer," said Morris, who is in his 10th year of coaching but his first experience having a girl player. "We have three starting linebackers back next season.

"We'll see where she is at the end of the summer."

Francisco Lujan, the Rivals Combine director, said, "Throughout all of our combine experiences this was the first girl to compete. She fit right in. For her age and position, she tested well."

More than 450 players from 19 states came to the Rivals Combine in Denver, where athletes were tested in football drills such as vertical jump and cone drills.

Abeyta attended at the suggestion of her trainer, Sean White. "He wanted me to attend so we could see my times. We've been working on speed and footwork."

Abeyta has a short-term goal - "trying to start on varsity this year, and if I don't start, get as much playing time as possible."

And a long-term goal - "I think I might be able to play after high school."

She's working hard today in hopes of a bright tomorrow.

Her summers have been filled with attending college football camps - last year participating at Oregon, Redlands and Whittier and this summer she has trips planned to UCLA, Northwestern and Azusa

She won the Most Outstanding Sophomore Linebacker award at the Oregon camp … and that wasn't even the highlight.

"I got to take my picture with (Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback) Marcus Mariota and (Oregon head coach) Mark Helfrich," Abeyta said, her voice rising with enthusiasm.

"I've never had any reservations about her playing football," said Heather, Haley's mother. "Sure there have been some whispers over the years. Once she tried to attend a camp and they told her she couldn't. But I argued and they let her compete with the boys.

"Football's been a really good experience. We've made a lot of friends."

A broken collarbone in the final game of the season when she was eight didn't deter her from returning to the field.

She's a football player.

"Her ultimate goal is to play college football," mom says. "She wants to take this all the way and we're behind her."