A new sports star has taken the country by storm: Sam(antha) Gordon, the 9-year-old girl Pee Wee Football player from South Jordan, Utah, whose season highlights YouTube video garnered over 2 million views after it was uploaded by her father, Brent Gordon, this past week. Her impressive stats include 35 touchdowns, just under 2,000 yards rushing, on just over 8 yards per carry, and 65 defensive tackles. Not too shabby, to say the least.
Following the enthralling response to the football skills, not to mention the female gender of Sam Gordon, the Pee Wee phenom and her father appeared on Good Morning America, where Gordon said that, while eventually she wants to play soccer, “Most of the times it’s just really fun to be the one scoring the touchdowns, instead of the boys.”
On one hand, the athletic ability and football success of a 9-year-old female football player is cause to re-examine our society’s largely preconceived notions about strength and ability and gender and so forth. On the other hand, Sam Gordon, whose nickname is “Sweet Feet,” just like the fictional Cosby Show character Rudy Huxtable, is just a kid enjoying playing the game of football.
Either way, it’s a mighty impressive season.
