Leilani Armenta made history when she booted the opening kickoff for Jackson State against Bethune-Cookman and then became the first woman to score a point in a Division I HBCU football game.
In an X post on Wednesday, the freshman announced that she was stepping away from the soccer pitch to devote her time to football.
“I would like to thank God, my parents, and everyone who has supported me in my life,” Armenta wrote. “With that being said, I will be stepping away from soccer and pursuing collegiate football as a kicker. It has been my dream to play Division I football, and playing for Coach TC Taylor has been a blessing.
“I am very thankful for the opportunity to continue playing for such an amazing program. I will continue pursuing my football career at Jackson State University, and I would like to thank the Tiger family for supporting me I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the JSU football program. Go Tigers!”
Armenta first gained notoriety after being called upon for kicking duties on Sept. 23 against B-CU due to injuries to Jackson State kicker Gerard’s Baeza and punter Matt Noll.
Her next appearance on the field was on Oct. 28 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, converting a PAT to make her the first woman to score a point in D-I football.
She, along with Shaw’s India Pulphus, are the only two women to have ever played in an HBCU football game. Pulphus also made history when she became the first woman to score a point in HBCU football history when she kicked an extra point in the Bears’ 38-19 loss against Virginia State.
— Leilani Armenta
(@LeilaniArmenta) November 29, 2023
This season was not the first time that Armenta had stepped on the gridiron. She was also kicked at St. Bonaventure High in Venture, California, where she converted 98 of 105 PATs and a perfect 5 of 5 on field goals, with a career-long of 30 yards.
